Comparing two Primary Methods for Assessing and Managing Violence Risk: Actuarial v. SPJ
Presented by Stephen D. Hart, PhD in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services
1.5 Hours | 1.5 CEs
This on-demand professional training on Comparing two Primary Methods for Assessing and Managing Violence Risk: Actuarial v SPJ is presented by Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D., in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.
Largely in reaction to the problems with unstructured professional judgment when assessing and managing violence risk, two primary methods of structuring violence risk assessment have been developed over the last twenty-five years. Both approaches have been the focus of extensive research and have been implemented in diverse settings worldwide. In the first method, actuarial risk assessment, information is weighted and combined according to fixed and explicit rules. In the second method, structured professional judgment (SPJ), data are weighted and combined according to guidelines and professional discretion. On the surface, these methods differ concerning the degree of structure imposed on the assessment process. But in practice, there is a tremendous debate about the intended purpose of these methods, how they are implemented in practice and their effectiveness in preventing violence. This program provides an overview of the differences between these methods and the implications of these differences for both practice and the law.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program you will be able to:
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Describe the two primary methods for assessing and managing violence risk
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Describe the implications of using these two methods in practice and law
Presented By
Stephen D. Hart, PhD
Dr. Stephen D. Hart obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He has been on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University since 1990, and has held the rank of Professor since 2001. He also served as a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway between 2000 and 2021. His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has co-authored more than 250 books, chapters, and articles. He has served as editor of two scientific journals; a member of the editorial board of eight journals; and ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 journals. He has served as an executive committee member of several professional organizations, including President of the American Psychology-Law Society and the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. He has received various distinctions for his professional work, including the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Psychology, the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence in Psychology and Law from the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He maintains an active practice in violence risk assessment. He has consulted with government agencies from more than 25 countries; led more than 500 training workshops around the world; and given expert evidence before courts, tribunals, inquests, review boards, and parliamentary committees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Protect International Risk and Safety Services
We are proud to partner with Protect International Risk and Safety Services for this training. Protect International's threat assessment professionals are internationally recognized experts that have developed some of the world's most widely used and best-validated threat assessment tools. Protect International provides services and products related to violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management. Protect International services and products include threat assessment training and support, case assessment and management, legal consultation, policy review and development, and program evaluation and research; along with threat assessment manuals, worksheets, licenses, and software applications for those tools.
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