An assessment of violence risk is often an integral part of the forensic psychological evaluation. For example, the court may consider violence risk when determining bail, when deciding whether to move juveniles to the adult court, considering granting a reduced sentence, considering mandating treatment, striving to determine whether somebody is a danger to their self or to others as a precursor for involuntary commitment, and in order to recommend the death penalty for those convicted of capital crimes because of a likelihood of continued dangerousness.

The violence risk assessment is embedded within the forensic interview. The psychologist asks questions and gathers information pertaining to areas that psychological research has determined to be correlated with a high risk for violence. Psychological testing can be helpful in determining information about the psychological factors that are associated with violence risk such as, for example, the presence of personality disorder. The psychologist considers the preponderance of risk factors present, the contextual factors, and any other pertinent information and makes a determination as to whether the person is a low, medium, or high risk for violent behavior.