Graphs can help improve violence risk communication

What is it about?

Actuarial risk assessment tools can help improve decisions about violent offenders’ security level. The necessary statistical information, however, can be confusing, especially for less numerate persons. Forensic clinicians can feel uncomfortable with statistics and they rarely use actuarial risk assessment tools. This study found that when more experienced forensic clinicians were given a graph explaining actuarial data, they made better forensic decisions than when they did not have a graph. That is, using a graph was related to higher risk offenders being recommended for higher security. We conclude that this result shows that studies using graphs to improve forensic decision making are worthwhile.

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Why is it important?

Ensuring that higher risk offenders receive the most intensive interventions (such as institutional treatment) when they are eligible for them can increase public safety.