Case and risk formulation for violent extremism: Practice lessons from a sample of radicalised individuals

Various violent extremist risk assessment tools have been developed to support practitioner decision-making in case and risk formulation. Many of these tools are grounded in Structured Professional Judgement approaches. However, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding how case and risk formulations are constructed in the context of violent extremism and limited insight into the types of individuals practitioners are tasked with assessing. This paper aims to address that gap by examining a series of case studies that illuminate the risk factors and contextual circumstances shaping individual trajectories into violent extremism. Through these case studies, we demonstrate how such information can inform assessments and calibrations of individual risk and future harm potential. Each case is used to explore the unique challenges it presents for assessment and formulation, as well as the implications for treatment and management. Broader lessons for the task of risk and case formulation are discussed. The five case studies presented are drawn from primary data within a broader sample of 15 radicalised male adults who underwent clinical assessments either in the community or while incarcerated in one Australian state.