Adolescent threats and violence: An intriguing difference

Abstract

Relatively little is known about young people who engage in targeted acts of violence. In this study, we explored a sample of young people referred to a youth forensic mental health service for a risk assessment of general violence risk, targeted violence risk, or both general and targeted violence risk. Exploratory comparisons were made across mental health issues and criminogenic risk factors, and results indicated that young people referred for a threat-only assessment were around 20 times more likely to have a depressive mood disorder than young people referred for a violence-only assessment. Furthermore, young people referred for a threat assessment had lower rates of physical abuse, family mental health issues, and prior offending. These results indicate that young people referred for an assessment of targeted violence risk may be distinguished from young people referred for general violence risk, which has important implications for their assessment and treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)Children’s Health Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Release Date: 20220303. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: EnglishMajor Descriptor: Juvenile Delinquency; Mentally Ill Offenders; Violence; Risk Assessment; Threat Assessment. Minor Descriptor: Juvenile Justice; Mental Disorders; Risk Factors. Classification: Criminal Behavior & Juvenile Delinquency (3236). Population: Human (10); Male (30); Female (40). Location: Australia. Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs) (100); School Age (6-12 yrs) (180); Adolescence (13-17 yrs) (200); Adulthood (18 yrs & older) (300). Tests & Measures: Early Assessment Risk List for Boys; Coding Dictionary. Methodology: Empirical Study; Quantitative Study. References Available: Y. Page Count: 20. Issue Publication Date: Jul, 2021. Copyright Statement: International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology. 2021.Sponsor: QFAB Bioinformatics. Other Details: Dr. Anne Bernard, Head of Biostatistics. Recipients: No recipient indicated <br />