The increased use of violence risk assessment tools in professional practice has sparked
the development of best-practice guidelines for communicating about violence risk.
The present study examined 166 pre-sentence reports, authored by clinicians and probation
officers, to determine the extent to which they are consistent with those guidelines.
We examined the frequency with which reports contained information about
five topics: the presence of risk factors; the relevance of risk factors; scenarios of future
violence; recommended management strategies; and summary risk judgments. Analyses
revealed that the topics addressed most frequently in reports were the presence of
risk factors and recommended management strategies, but none of the five topics was
addressed consistently, completely, or clearly in reports. This was especially the case
for probation reports. The findings highlight the need to improve practice through
better implementation of guidelines for risk communication. Also needed is research
on the extent to which information in risk communications is comprehended,
accepted, and used by various stakeholder groups.
2015. Vol. 33, no 1, p. 39-55