Citation
(2014), "2013 Awards for Excellence", The Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-02-2014-001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2013 Awards for Excellence
Article Type: 2013 Awards for Excellence From: Journal of Forensic Practice, Volume 16, Issue 1
The following article was selected for this year's Outstanding Paper Award for Journal of Forensic Practice
"Calibrating risk for violent political extremists and terrorists: the VERA 2 structured assessment"
D. Elaine Pressman
Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
John Flockton
High Risk Management Correctional Centre, Corrective Services NSW, Goulburn, Australia
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of risk assessment for terrorists and violent political extremists and to present an example of such an approach. The approach proposed is referred to as the VERA 2 or violent extremism risk assessment protocol (Consultative Version 2).
Designmethodologyapproach – A review of the knowledge base relating to risk assessment and risk assessment methodology was undertaken with a focus on relevance to individual terrorists and violent extremists. The need for a specific approach for the risk assessment of terrorists that differs from approaches used for ordinary violent criminals was identified. A model that could be used for the risk assessment of terrorists was identified with pertinent risk indicators. This was structured into a protocol referred to as the VERA (Consultative Version 2). The approach is intended to be applied to different types of violent extremists, terrorists and unlawful violent offenders motivated by religious, political or social ideologies.
Findings – First, risk assessments of adjudicated terrorists and violent extremists should be undertaken with risk indicators that are relevant to ideological motivated violence. Indicators used for ordinary common violence differ in substantive ways from those relevant to terrorists and therefore may have questionable relevance for the assessment of risk in terrorists. Second, it is possible to construct an evidencebased risk assessment approach for the range of violent extremists and terrorists using a structured professional judgment approach with pertinent risk indicators. The VERA 2 is an example of this type of risk assessment protocol for terrorists and unlawful violent extremists.
Research limitationsimplications – Risk assessment tools that have been developed for ordinary violent criminals and members of organised criminal gangs should be used with caution with terrorists, violent extremists and other perpetrators of ideologically motivated unlawful violence. Specific risk assessment approaches for terrorists with relevant indicators should be used. At this time, terrorist oriented approaches such as the VERA 2 are to be considered consultative and used as an addon to other established approaches.
Originalityvalue – There are few transparent, structured risk assessment approaches that use indicators specifically relevant to violent political extremists and terrorists. One new approach, the VERA 2 is outlined in the paper using risk indicators that differ in substantive ways from those used for other ordinary violent criminals.
Keywords Calibrating risk, Criminology, Political philosophy, Risk assessment, Risk factors, Risk indicators, Terrorism, Unlawful political extremism, Violent crime, Violent extremism
This article originally appeared in Volume 14 Number 4 2012, Journal of Forensic Practice
The following articles were selected for this years Highly Commended Award
"Self-determination in rehabilitation: a qualitative case study of three young offenders on community orders"
Lynne Millward and Sarah Senker
This article originally appeared in Volume 14 Number 3, 2012, Journal of Forensic Practice
Outstanding Reviewer
Dr Zainab Al-Attar