dangerousness
Dangerousness is a term used in fields such as criminology, psychiatry, and public policy to describe the potential for harm posed by a person or situation. It commonly concerns the risk of violence toward others or self-harm, but can also relate to property damage or environmental danger. In clinical and forensic contexts, dangerousness refers to the predictive judgment about the likelihood that an individual will engage in harmful behavior within a given time frame.
Risk assessment combines static factors—such as age, prior violence, and criminal history—with dynamic factors—such as substance
In legal and policy settings, assessments of dangerousness can influence decisions about detention, treatment, civil commitment,
Limitations include measurement error, cultural bias, and the risk of stigmatizing individuals labeled as dangerous. Critics
Research in risk assessment favors dynamic, multi-method approaches and preventive interventions, such as treatment for mental