TY - JOUR PY - 2004// TI - Applying a forensic actuarial assessment (the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide) to nonforensic patients JO - Journal of interpersonal violence A1 - Harris, Grant T. A1 - Rice, Marnie E. A1 - Camilleri, Joseph A. SP - 1063 EP - 1074 VL - 19 IS - 9 N2 - The actuarial Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) was developed for male offenders where it has shown excellent replicability in many new forensic samples using officially recorded outcomes. Clinicians also make decisions, however, about the risk of interpersonal violence posed by nonforensic psychiatric patients of both sexes. Could an actuarial risk assessment developed for male forensic populations be used for a broader clientele? We modified the VRAG to permit evaluation using data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study that included nonforensic male and female patients and primarily self-reported violence. The modified VRAG yielded a large effect size in the prediction of dichotomous postdischarge severe violence over 20 and 50 weeks. Accuracy of VRAG predictions was unrelated to sex. The results provide evidence about the robustness of comprehensive actuarial risk assessments and the generality of the personal factors that underlie violent behavior.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0886-2605 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260504268004 ID - ref1 ER -