Over the past three decades, much has been learned about risk factors associated with violence. Subsequently, significant advances have occurred in terms of the conceptualization as well as the communication of violence risk; in particular, numerous risk assessment measures have been developed in order to inform violence prevention efforts. However, most such instruments have been validated predominantly in male populations and research examining their application across genders is scarce. This study investigated the performance of one of the most established violence risk assessment schemes—the Historical/Clinical/Risk Management-20 (HCR-20)—in a sample of 52 men and 48 women receiving short-term inpatient psychiatric care. Results indicated that the HCR-20 as well as its components predicted both the occurrence and imminence of violent outcomes and gender did not moderate those relationships. Exploratory analyses revealed gender differences in the baseline item and scale ratings. Additionally, the HCR-20 demonstrated an association with violent victimization.
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