analyze information:

Hodgins (2001) cited a history of research that indicates that people with specific serious persistentmental illnesses (SPMIs) are more likely to engage in violent behavior than those who live without said mental illnesses. (Hodgins, 2001, p. 427) Hodgins noted that those who commit homicide are even more likely to have an SPMI than those who engage in other violent crimes. (Hodgins, 2001, p. 430) Due to a variety of research that upholds these findings, the law has evolved to consider the presence of mental health disorders among those accused of crimes. The Thomas Barefoot case of 1978 led the United States Supreme Court to rule that the courts may use clinical risk assessment to divert the penalty of death among those with serious mental health issues. (Monahan and Steadman, 2001, p. 197)

Bartol and Bartol (2020) list several predictors of dangerous behavior. Among them are a person having a history of violent actions, substance use disorders, and childhood trauma. They are, however, careful to state that the above and other variables are not necessarily predictive of a person engaging in violent criminal behaviors. (Bartol and Bartol, 2020, p. 242.)

Risk assessment is itself a trait concept that permits predictions of violent behavior based upon a person's past. State concepts, on the other hand, identify those behaviors that can be controlled by the individual and by interventions. ("Conceptions of states and traits: Dimensional attributes with ideals as prototypes," n.d.)

As Monahan and Steadman (2001) note, the presence of an SPMI is not guaranteed to determine that a person will behave violently during their lifetime. Nor is the presence of a mental illness an absolute determinant for a person with a violent past to continue to behave violently throughout their lifetime. (Bartol and Bartol, 2020, p. 242) Therefore it is incumbent upon forensic psychologists to follow risk assessment with appropriate state concepts.

While a person living with an SPMI increases their chances of committing violent crimes, one with an SPMI need not develop into a violent individual. Most mental health issues are treatable, and interventions from the earliest ages of life can serve to present unhealthy development among those who are at elevated risk for becoming criminally violent. Combinations of psychopharmacological and talk therapy treatments have successfully prevented some individuals from continuing to engage in criminal acts. Furthermore, providing reentry programs and a strong support system for affected individuals can help lower recidivism rates among at-risk persons. (Hodgins, 2001, p. 434)

Specifically, as Bartol and Bartol (2020) indicate, the psychologists are optimistic about the future efficacy of treatment for violent sex offenders. They aver that following the principles of risk, need, and responsibility (RNR) can allow those who engage in pedophilia to control their violent impulses and remain law-abiding. Recommendations for treatment include evocative therapy, psychoeducational counseling, and psychopharmacological intervention. (Bartol and Bartol, 2020, p. 403)