Predicting Violent Behavior

The desire to better understand human behavior has existed for centuries. More recently, there has been an interest in predicting human behavior, especially violent behavior, part of an inherent desire to protect society from individuals who may be a danger to others. Identifying individuals who are at a higher risk for violent behavior allows for preventative measures to better protect society. Laws exist that allow such individuals to be involuntarily committed. This has placed a burden on clinicians and researchers to determine the criteria necessary for making such predictions. [Page 363]Considering the fact that every individual is unique, there is no way to definitively predict a person's behavior or propensity for violence. Although it is not an exact science, research has allowed for the identification ...