Risk formulation in forensic practice: a review of the evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence base for the use of risk formulation in forensic practice settings.

Design/methodology/approach – Systematic literature review principles were adopted to identify literature exploring risk formulation in forensic practice settings in relation to offending behaviour.

Findings – Data were analysed using a narrative synthesis approach, and commonalities were observed across some of the studies in terms of definitions, outcomes, and implementation, of risk formulation; however, the findings of the review did not provide a definitive account of risk formulation practice in forensic settings. This is due to the narrow scope of the included studies, the small yet diverse samples, the heterogeneity in research aims and the methodological weaknesses apparent within the included studies.

Research limitations/implications – Further research is needed to understand the application and outcomes of risk formulation in forensic practice settings.

Practical implications – Practitioners should be clear about how they are defining, implementing and assessing the outcomes of risk formulation, alongside being mindful of the evidence base when utilising forensic risk formulation in practice.

Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to focus solely on the evidence base for forensic risk formulation in practice.