Psychopathy and violence risk assessment in youth.

Requests for forensic evaluations about youths' risk of violence are on the rise. Assessments of risk of violence are important for both decision making in some juvenile justice procedures and for the prevention of chronic violent offending through appropriate interventions. Psychopathic personality disorder has received much attention as an indicator of the risk of violence and treatment resistance among youth, but there are significant concerns about the use of assessments of psychopathy in youth populations. This article reviews the utility and limitations of assessments of psychopathy in youth and describes other tools available for assessing the risk of violence in youth. The article concludes with recommendations for forensic evaluators based on current empiric evidence.