Citation

Farrell HM. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2011; 39(4): 562-574.

Affiliation

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 173 Commonwealth Avenue, 5R, Boston, MA 02116. hfarrell@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

22159985

Abstract

Batterers are often identified in the criminal justice system after they have inflicted significant abuse on their victims. The increasing public health initiatives surrounding intimate partner violence focus on identification of victims and their protection. Little emphasis is placed, however, on the batterers themselves. Forensic specialists become involved in risk assessment for violence only after a perpetrator has inflicted significant damage on his victim and entered the criminal justice system. This article serves to bring awareness of the many factors, including neurobiology and neuropsychology, that contribute to the development of a batterer. Two instruments useful in identifying violence risk will be highlighted, along with a proposal for future research that could broaden risk assessment applications to other noncriminal settings, allowing for early detection and prevention of violent acts.

Language: en