Forensic Risk Assessment : A Metareview

A large number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted in the field of forensic risk assessment, and their conclusions have occasionally been conflicting. To examine the quality and findings of these reviews, a metareview was conducted. The authors identified nine systematic reviews and 31 meta-analyses from 1995 to 2009. The themes covered in these reviews and meta-analyses included the validity of actuarial tools compared with unstructured and structured clinical judgment, a comparison of various risk assessment tools, and the predictive validity of these tools for different genders and ethnic backgrounds. This metareview found that the quality and consistency of findings in these areas varied considerably. Sources of heterogeneity were not assessed in half of the reviews, and duplicate samples not excluded in approximately half of the reviews. The authors suggest a standardization of review reporting with particular emphasis on methodological consistency