Risk assessment is the process of forensic mental health professionals for determining the risk that a sex offender presents to the community at large.

Tasks:

Using resources from the professional literature, research risk assessment tools used with the sex offender population. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu and .gov).

In a 3- to 4-page paper in a Microsoft Word document, address the following:

• Identify two reasons that a forensic mental health professional would be called to complete a risk assessment for a sex offender.
• Explain why risk assessment measures are widely used with the sex offender population. What do assessment measures hope to achieve?
• Describe two types of risk assessment instruments or methods utilized with the sex offender population. What is the research support for utilization of these instruments?
• Discuss the reasons that a sex offender is compared to other sex offenders when conducting a sex offender risk assessment.
• Identify one or more specific risk assessment measures utilized for female sex offenders.