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Forensic vigilance is a central competency that forensic professionals need to meet the complex demands of working in forensic settings. Until recently, no instrument for forensic vigilance was available. This study aims to develop a self-assessment tool of forensic vigilance for individuals and teams working in forensic settings, and investigated its psychometric properties.

The Forensic Vigilance Estimate (FVE) was presented to 367 forensic psychiatric professionals and 94 non-forensic psychiatric professionals by means of an online survey. Professionals rated themselves on 15 aspects of forensic vigilance.

The results indicated that the FVE had good psychometric properties, reflected by a good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α of 0.903), a good split-half reliability (0.884) and good test–retest reliability (0.809). The factor structure of the FVE was captured by a one-factor model (RMSEA 0.09, SRMR 0.05, TLI 0.91 and CFI 0.92). Proportion of explained variance was 52%. Forensic professionals scored significantly higher than non-forensic professionals on the FVE (t(459) = 3.848, p = 0.002).

These results suggest that the FVE may reliably be used for research purposes, e.g. to study the effects of targeted training or intervention or increasing work experience on forensic vigilance or to study which factors influence forensic vigilance.

This study represents the first attempt to capture forensic vigilance with a measuring instrument.

Forensic mental health care is a unique field that poses complex demands on professionals. Forensic vigilance is a hypothesized specialty of forensic mental health professionals, allowing them to meet the complex demands of working in forensic settings. Forensic vigilance consists of theoretical and experiential knowledge of mental disorders, theory of offending behavior, the criminal history of patients and environmental observations and clinical judgment. Although this concept has only been recently described and defined, it is still unknown which professional and individual factors are related to forensic vigilance, and if forensic vigilance is related to job stress and burnout symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between forensic vigilance and several professional and individual factors.

The current study investigated whether forensic vigilance is predicted by years of work experience and the Big Five personality traits by means of an online survey among forensic mental health professionals and whether forensic vigilance is associated with work-related stress, burnout and workplace satisfaction.

The 283 forensic mental health professionals who responded to the survey indicated that forensic work experience, but not general experience, positively predicted forensic vigilance. Forensic vigilance was negatively associated with Neuroticism and positively associated with Openness to experience and Conscientiousness. Forensic vigilance did not predict work-related stress, burnout symptoms and workplace satisfaction. Personal accomplishment was positively related to forensic vigilance.

Findings of the present study increase the understanding of the construct of forensic vigilance. The findings presented here highlight the importance of differences between professionals in terms of experience and personality. Training programs should capitalize on experience, while taking personality differences in consideration. Personality differences are relevant in hiring policies and team composition. Finally, to reduce workplace-related stress and burnout symptoms, institutions should consider known factors that influence work-related symptoms (e.g. experienced autonomy) rather than forensic vigilance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first effort to study forensic vigilance in relation to personality, work experience and experienced workplace-related stress and satisfaction.

There is a considerable body of research on the assessment and prediction of aggression in psychiatric hospitals. A range of clinical and demographic characteristics associated with aggressive inpatients, such as young age and active symptoms of psychosis, have repeatedly been shown to contribute to aggression. Environmental factors have also been shown to be important. The study examined aggressive behaviours in an Australian forensic psychiatric hospital, using aggression‐specific recording instrumentation developed for the study. The purpose of the study was to compare results using aggression specific‐recording instrumentation with a previous study using retrospective methods relying on standard hospital incident forms, and to examine the relationship between type, direction and severity of aggression with the use of seclusion.In contrast with the results obtained in a previous study, staff rather than patients were more often the victims of both verbal and physical aggression, although patients were more frequently the victims of more severe forms of aggression. Patients were verbally and physically aggressive towards other patients at similar rates, although they were more frequently verbally, rather than physically, aggressive to staff. Acute wards recorded more aggression than rehabilitation wards. Males and females were aggressive at similar rates. A reduction in reported incidents of verbal and physical aggression, particularly against staff, occurred over the course of the study. Patients were secluded and incident forms were completed following approximately 30% of aggressive behaviours. Whether or not a patient was secluded and whether or not an incident form was completed depended on a range of factors, including the nature of the victim and the type and severity of the aggression.

The study examined how nursing staff in a secure forensic unit make judgements about female patients' level of risk and whether a patient's lack of engagement in therapy was a salient factor. Results indicate that staff accounted for the following historical factors when making judgements: past aggression, substance misuse, symptoms of psychosis and personality disorder, and the following clinical factors: lack of insight, non‐compliance and lack of motivation. A positive therapeutic alliance between patient and key‐worker, high levels of self‐confidence in staff members, a supportive nursing team and an institution with good procedural security were perceived to be protective factors.

This paper summarises the findings of an unpublished Prison Service report into self‐inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales over the period 1990‐2001. The key findings are that the number and rate of deaths in prisons has increased during the period examined. The majority of deaths are among men, although there has been a recent increase in the number of women who have died over and above any increase in their proportion in the prison population. Women are likely to be younger than men when they die. There is a statistically significant association between increased rates of throughput in local prisons and an increase in the rate of self‐inflicted deaths. Deaths are most likely to occur soon after prisoners have been received into custody. Few prisoners who die have been identified as at increased risk of suicide. There is some evidence that the period immediately following closure of an F2052SH is a high‐risk period. Most prisoners who die are in single cells. Those who die in shared cells are usually alone at the time of death. The findings support the direction of the current Safer Custody strategy: in particular the focus on local prisons, on improved vigilance and care in the early days of custody and on providing improved facilities and care in health care centres and segregation units.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS) (Paulhus, 1998) for use in the UK. Given the forensic use of the PDS, this study aimed to examine whether the subscales of impression management (IM) and self-deception enhancement (SDE) predict anti-social personality and narcissistic personality, respectively.

A UK general population sample completed the PDS and the International Personality Disorder Examination personality screening tool (Loranger, 1999). Findings were compared to original Canadian/US norms. Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and factor analytic techniques were applied to the data.

Average total and IM scores were significantly higher in the UK than in the original sample. The tool demonstrated good internal consistency. The initial two-factor model showed relatively poor fit, which was significantly improved by application of the novel ESEM approach. Higher IM scores significantly predicted lower anti-social personality. Higher SDE scores significantly predicted narcissistic personality.

The PDS is applicable in the UK, however, users should use UK norms. When assessing people, especially in a “high stakes” forensic setting, IM should not be considered socially deviant. Those with high-SDE scores have been found to be narcissistic; consequently, in clinical practice, high-SDE scorers may need further violence or personality evaluation.

The purpose of this paper is to adapt a social climate measure for use within a forensic intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) service and examine perceptions of social climate and the links with patient aggression across three levels of security.

Four staff participated in a focus group to discuss how the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES) could be adapted for IDD patients. Subsequently, a pilot study with three patients highlighted some difficulties in administering the adapted measure. Alterations in the administration of the measure were implemented with a further ten patients residing across three levels of security. The EssenCES was adapted to include more visual prompts to assist in the patients’ completion of the measure. The frequency of aggressive incidents in each of the three settings was also collated.

Statistical analysis revealed a non-significant trend where positive social climate ratings increased as the security level decreased. There was a significant difference in the frequency of aggressive incidents across the three levels of security; however, there were no significant relationships found between the questionnaire ratings and the frequency of incidents.

The results lacked statistical power due to the low number of participants. Further studies with adapted social climate measures need to be conducted to assess the implications of social climate on individuals with IDD in secure forensic services.

The study adapted and piloted a social climate measure for individuals in a forensic IDD service.

This paper aims to determine how forensic accounting contributes to fraud detection and prevention and answer the following research questions: What are the standard techniques for fraud detection and prevention; and What are the significant challenges that hinder the application of forensic accounting in fraud prevention and detection?

The authors use the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to carry out a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify and assess the existing literature on forensic accounting.

There exists a positive correlation between forensic accounting and fraud detection and prevention. Moreover, in both the empirical and non-empirical findings, the authors note that fraud is complex, and in carrying out fraud investigations, one must be aware of its complexity.

Although drug counterfeiting is a sector where forensic accountants have paid less attention, it is a rapidly expanding fraud area. This paper finds that to detect fraud at an early stage, one must increase consumer understanding of basic forensic accounting techniques by implementing accurate supply chain monitoring systems and inventory management controls and conducting adequate and effective regulatory, honest and legitimate customs inspections.

The major factors that restrict forensic accounting are a lack of awareness and education. Hence, it is essential to incorporate forensic accounting in undergraduate and post-graduate courses.

From the existing literature, it has been observed that very few studies have been conducted in this field using the PRISMA and SLR techniques. Also, the authors carried out a holistic study that focuses on three different areas – fraud detection, fraud prevention and the challenges in forensic accounting.