Risk prediction: a review of the literature.

This review of risk assessment and prediction literature briefly describes the historical and philosophical influences on the construct of dangerousness; chronicles the advances in research associated with the reconceptualization of dangerousness as risk; and describes current practice and research related to risk assessment, with particular attention to commonly used risk assessment tools and to existing issues and controversies. This cannot be considered a systematic review of the literature but a reflection of some of the key issues found in the literature.