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2026
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INTELLIGENCE, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2026
In this issue, Dr. Gérard Labuschagne, from Protect International, provides a book review of Superforcasting: The Art and Science of Prediction. This book focuses on our ability to forecast diverse future events which is particularly relevant to scenario planning when conducting threat assessments. Also in this issue, Mr. Totti Karpela, from Peace of Mind, and Dr. Kelly Watt have the honour of providing a practice update about managing important challenges related to conducting safety assessment and planning. This is a critical topic to discuss, but one that is rarely spoken about.
2025
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INTELLIGENCE, Volume 11, Issue 2, 2025
In this issue, our newest team member, Dr. Gérard Labuschagne, will introduce himself and the two books he has written entitled The Profiler Diaries and The Profiler Diaries 2. Dr. Labuschagne has decades of experience assessing and managing violence risk in diverse sectors and is a founding member and past president of the African Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (AfATAP).
INTELLIGENCE, Volume 11, Issue 1, 2025
In this issue, Mr. Eli Hotchkin, from the University of Iowa, provides an overview of the evolution of their Threat Assessment Team over the last two decades. Eli describes how the team arose out of a tragedy and led to multidisciplinary teamwork to identify, assess, and mitigate threats of targeted violence across their campus and affiliated medical facilities.
2024
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 10, Issue 3, 2024
In this issue, Ms. Kyle Pelletier from Massachusetts Department of Correction and Dr. Robin Timme from Falcon Correctional and Community Services, Inc., address the importance of using structured professional judgement guidelines as a framework for guiding interdisciplinary team discussions in prison settings and for preventing and reducing future violence risk. Also in this issue, Dr. Kelly Watt has the honour of providing a practice update about the importance of fear management in threat assessment and safety planning. She discusses the potential problems with fear that is “too high”, “too low”, “too unstable” as well as some core management strategies to manage fear experienced by potential victims and others.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 10, Issue 2, 2024
In this issue, Sergeant Jon Cawsey, from the Regional Domestic Violence Unit, Detective Division, Saanich Police Department, provides a powerful practice update about the importance of sharing information when there is reason to be concerned about violence risk. He draws from his own experience as a law enforcement officer and his experience working in collaboration with diverse professionals with a common goal of preventing violence. Also in this issue, Dr. Matt Talbot provides a practice update about selecting and using the right tool when conducting threat assessments. He highlights that this is a critical decision with implications for both safety and liability, but the decision points are seldom discussed explicitly and often missunderstood.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 10, Issue 1, 2024
In this issue, Ms. Yan Lim provides a book review of Violent Extremism: A Handbook of Risk Assessment and Management and Ms. Nicole Russell provides a book review of The Law of Regulatory Investigations. Ms. Mandy Johnston provides a practice update about the nature and prevalence of violence towards paramedics and presents promising advances in research, practice, and the law that may help to change the culture, promote systems change, support paramedics, and prevent violence.
2023
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 9, Issue 2, 2023
In this issue, Ms. Yan Lim who recently joined our team as a Threat Assessment Specialist, will provide a book review of Violence and Mental Illness: Rethinking Risk Factors and Enhancing Public Safety. This book is a very important reminder that even though MI is an important risk factor for future violence, on its own, it does not give us reason to be concerned about violence risk. Ms. Nicole Russell and Dr. Brianne Layden are providing a practice update about sequencing parallel investigations. This is a very important topic given that multiple investigations are not the exception, but the norm, can be extremely challenging to navigate, and are associated with institutional risk.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 9, Issue 1, 2023
In this issue, Ms. Ida Ghaemmaghamfarahani will provide a practice update about artificial intelligence and threat assessment to encourage us to consider possible implications of this emerging issue and some of the pros and cons for threat assessment professionals. Ms. Nicole Russell is providing a practice update about misconduct investigations, with an emphasis on ensuring they are done in accordance with best practices and supported by the law. Kelly Watt will also provide a practice update about the official launches of the newest version of the Guidelines for Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM-V2) in 2023 in person in Johannesburg and virtually from Vancouver.
2022
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 8, Issue 2, 2022
In this issue, Matt Talbot will provide a book review of Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America, by Mark Follman. As Matt indicates in his review, the book will be relevant for all threat assessment professionals committed to preventing mass shootings. Kelly Watt is also providing a practice update about recognizing the presence and appreciating the impact of stalking. Stalking is a challenge to assess and manage for many professionals, and issues with identification and recognition of impact have become increasingly clear over time. Kelly Watt will be sharing a few stories with you based on real cases to help illustrate both common problems and possible solutions.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 8, Issue 1, 2022
In this issue, Dr. Randy Kropp will provide an important research update related to the SARA-V3 for assessing and managing risk of intimate partner violence. This is a very timely research update in light of the international increase in the prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence related to the pandemic, disasters, and wars. Kelly Watt is also providing a practice update related to violence risk communication by sharing a few stories with you based on real cases to help illustrate the importance of risk communication and with the hope of promoting improvements in practice.
2021
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 7, Issue 1, 2021
In this issue, Mr. Totti Karpela will provide a practice update related to workplace violence prevention. He poses a very important question about whether we are collecting the right data regarding violent incidents. He highlights the importance of looking at incidents involving the prevention of violence, as well as incidents involving the perpetration of violence. In this issue, Kelly Watt is providing book reviews of The Handbook of Risk Assessment and The International Handbook of Threat Assessment. Both are second editions of important handbooks for threat assessment professionals that were released this year.
2020
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 6, Issue 4, 2020
In this issue, Dr. Trudy Adam and Kelly Watt will provide a practice update related to violence risk identification, assessment, and management practices in inpatient psychiatry. We wanted to share our own experiences working in these setting and to highlight promising practices and needed improvements in this area. We believe this practice update will be relevant to professionals working in inpatient psychiatry and those working in collaboration with these settings (e.g., law enforcement, victim services, higher education).
INTELLIGENCE Volume 6, Issue 3, 2020
In this issue, Ms. Tracy Porteous and Ms. Kristi Yuris from the Ending Violence Association of BC will provide a special practice update related to the association between the pandemic and the increased prevalence and severity of gender-based violence around the world. Not only do they draw attention the breadth and depth of this problem, but they also discuss actions and resources that can help to prevent it.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 6, Issue 2, 2020
In this issue, Dr. Patricia Zapf provides a practice update about how this pandemic has led mental health and forensic services to move from in person to online. Also in this issue, Dr. Stephen Hart provides a practice update about how threat assessment professionals can continue to provide threat assessment services at a distance.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 6, Issue 1, 2020
In this issue, Dr. Stephen Hart provides us with an important practice update related to the nature of hate crime and the implications for threat assessment. Hate crime has increased markedly in recent years and can involve serious and even lethal violence towards targeted individuals and groups. Dr. Brianne Layden will also be providing a research update on an article related to preventing vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout in forensic mental health. This article is of great relevance to threat assessment professionals in light of our routine exposure to both trauma and violence.
2019
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 5, Issue 4, 2019
Drs. Brianne Layden and Christopher King will provide a very important, and underappreciated, legal update of case law regarding the assessment and management of risk for self-directed violence. Although the legal update focuses on Institutes of Higher Education, the responsibilities discussed are relevant for threat assessment professionals across diverse settings (e.g., workplace, healthcare, corrections).
INTELLIGENCE Volume 5, Issue 3, 2019
In this issue, Dr. Stephen Hart will provide a practice update on the intersection between right wing extremism and terrorism. This update is very important and timely in light of all of the recent tragic events worldwide, including the mass shootings in the United States and New Zealand. Ms. Nicole Russell will provide a book review in this issue of the newest edition of the Human Resources Guide to Workplace Investigations by Janice Rubin and Christine Thomlinson of Rubin Thomlinson LLP. Ms. Russell describes the book as a must-read for all professionals conducting workplace investigations, being both legally-informed and practically grounded.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 5, Issue 2, 2019
In this issue, Dr. Kelly Watt will provide a research update about a recent study that was conducted by Statistics Canada related to harassment in Canadian workplaces. This study highlights that the prevalence of workplace harassment is significant, the nature is diverse, and the impact in substantial. Also in this issue, Mr. Paul D. McClean will provide a legal review about emerging issues related to Occupational Health & Safety enforcement with a specific focus on increased fines and potential criminal liability for workplaces. This legal review will be both important and relevant to employers and threat assessment professionals. These recent developments reinforce the importance of identifying and responding to warning signs related to workplace violence.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 5, Issue 1, 2019
In this issue, Dr. Brianne Layden will provide a research update about risk for selfdirected violence based on a comprehensive literature review that she conducted as part of her dissertation. She is working on the development of structured professional judgment guidelines for assessing and managing suicide risk. This is particularly relevant to threat assessment professionals in light of the intersection between interpersonal and self-directed violence. Is there any association between marijuana use and violence risk? This is a commonly asked question in light of the legalization of cannabis in Canada and areas in the United States, but the answer is heavily debated. In this issue, Dr. Stephen Hart will provide a practice update about the rapidly-growing body of research regarding the association between marijuana use and violence risk, and will discuss the implications of this association for violence risk assessment and management.
2018
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INTELLIGENCE Volume 4, Issue 3, 2018
Does asking people about suicidal or violent thoughts actually increase their risk or make them suicidal or violent? This is a commonly asked question in practice with limited consensus about the answer! In this issue, we hear from Dr. Brianne Layden who provides an important research update related to the potential iatrogenic effects of assessing thoughts of suicide and violence. Dr. Christopher King and Ms. Jill Del Pozzo will provide a legal review about Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Superior Court, which is a potential landmark case related to higher education’s responsibility to protect and warn their students about violence risk. This case has major implications for both threat assessment professionals and threat assessment teams.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 4, Issue 2, 2018
In this issue, we hear from Mr. Knut Rypdal who provides an important research update related to violent ideation, threats, attempts, and acts in emergency psychiatry units in Bergen Norway, which has implications for emergency and inpatient psychiatry around the globe. Dr. Stephen Hart will also provide a legal update about Ewert v. Canada, which is a critical case related to the intersection of diversity issues and violence risk with implications for cultural bias and human rights.
INTELLIGENCE Volume 4, Issue 1, 2018
In this issue, we hear from Dr. James Cawood about the first research study of violence risk assessment tools in common workplace environments. Dr. Stephen Hart also reviews “Weapons of Math Destruction”, an excellent book about how using mathematical models for decision making threatens to undermine democracy and widen inequality.