Violence assessment and intervention

This chapter discusses how we define aggression and what it includes, before progressing onto methods of assessment and treatment, with a focus on the essential components of psychological treatment. This will be illustrated using examples of therapy from a long-term violence-treatment programme where appropriate (Life Minus Violence" Enhanced TM; Ireland, 2009a), which will provide you with a good idea of how theory is put into practice, along with some ideas about process. With regard to the latter, this will focus on developmental theory, learning theory and social-cognitive theory, namely social information processing, since these represent core theories of relevance. The chapter will end by indicating some of the complexities in conducting treatment and assessment for violence.