PSYCH230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Solitude, Life Skills, Homicide

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH230
• Professor: John Rempel

Document Summary

Is an offender an ongoing threat: at risk for re-offending, clinical psychologist has to assess the risk. Four criteria for clinical expertise: agree amongst themselves. Validity: make use of specialized procedures, differ from non-professionals. Compared to high school teachers, clinicians: had low levels of agreement amongst themselves (comparable to teachers, weighted information similarly to teachers, affected more by offense descriptions and offender history than by assessment data (same as teachers) 9 clinicians completed an assessment questionnaire for 200 remanded men: moderate agreement on treatability, dangerousness, and recommendations, no consensus for specific type of treatment. Questionnaires were completed immediately after 60 interdisciplinary case conferences involving extensive group discussion. Use predictions statistically related to violent recidivism. Clinicians expected dangerousness to be related to: a homicide offense, high institutional assault frequency, an involuntary admission, low iq. Actual factors related to dangerousness: an economic or sexual offense, remand (not involuntary) admission status, young age, number of times in corrections, higher iq.