An important first step in the risk assessment process, the HCR-20 is a 20-item checklist used to assess the risk for future violent behavior in criminal and psychiatric populations.

• Determines the presence or absence of each of 20 risk factors according to three levels of certainty—absent, possibly present, or definitely present.
• Ten historical items address previous violence, age at first violent offense, family and vocational background, and more.
• Five clinical items address current symptomatology and psychosocial adjustment.
• Five risk management items address release, treatment plan, and necessary services and support.
• Allows you to make a final judgment regarding risk for future violence through careful analysis of results, keeping the population’s base rate of violence in mind.
• The HCR-20 Violence Risk Management Companion Guide provides brief descriptions of violence intervention strategies and practical help with planning and tracking risk management activities.