Applying current frameworks and standards for risk management and decision-making to the field of violence risk assessment

Purpose Established frameworks and standards have been developed from risk and decision science to provide guidance on decision-making under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Mental health research is yet to review whether this advanced field of research may offer innovative and useful points of analogy for violence risk assessment in mental health care. Design/methodology/approach The purpose of this paper is to describe key learnings for violence risk assessment research and clinical practice by drawing on similar concepts from the risk industry frameworks and standards. Findings Three areas were identified that could advance violence risk assessment research and practice: improved integration of risk assessment with decision-making for managing violence risk, better conceptualising risk and uncertainty in violence research and clinical practice, and improved operationalisation of risk assessment and management outcomes and feedback. Practical implications The advances in risk and decision science incorporated into the frameworks and standards can be used to enhance the utility of violence risk assessment in real-world clinical practice. Originality/value To forecast future violence, risk assessment research has garnered learning from multiple other fields, including neurobiology, behavioural economics, meteorology and aviation. What is yet to be reviewed are the current international recognised frameworks and standards for risk assessment and management.