Dr. Kathryn Seifert's Solution for Taking Control Before the Violence Does

    BALTIMORE, MD, September 26, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Kathryn Seifert, a renowned expert with over 30 years of experience in the areas of mental health and violence reduction, is pleased to announce the release of her new assessment, A Violence Risk Reduction Tool or the AVRRT. AVRRT is a Violence Risk Reduction Intervention Tool intended for males from the ages of 15 to 40 who are severely mentally ill, or on the autism spectrum. The assessment can be utilized for males who have not committed prior acts of severe or chronic violence, but have a history of emotional outbursts, narcissism, and social awkwardness.

The AVRRT contains a comprehensive list of characteristics an individual may display, a scale for rating the characteristics (from 0 [Absent] to 3 [Severe or Completely True], and an intervention possible for that characteristic in hopes of allaying it if present. Some examples of the characteristics Dr. Seifert outlines are "More than 3 Emotional Outbursts in the Past Year," "Interest in Weapons, or Macabre, or the 'dark side,'" and "Sexual Harassment of Women."

At the end of the list, you're able to add the score and observe if the individual displays a low, moderate, or severe possibility of violence. Dr. Seifert also includes Action Steps to be put in place if the individual is found to have a risk of developing severe and chronic violent tendencies. In this manner, the assessment acts as a Risk Reduction Tool to be used to reduce, and prevent, the risk of future violence for the client.

Research has shown that males in their late adolescence or early adulthood, with mental health and substance abuse problems, are seven times more likely to engage in violent behaviors. If both of these conditions are displayed in an individual with anger management difficulties, Dr. Seifert highly recommends the administration of her checklist to determine the Violence Risk Reduction Interventions that are needed. With this assessment, its observation of risk factors, and the explanation of interventions to be put in place to reduce them, AVRRT offers a solution to overcome these factors and develop skills to cope with life effectively and efficiently.

About Dr. Kathryn Seifert

Dr. Kathryn Seifert is a leading expert, with over 30 years of experience, in the areas of violence, mental health, and addictions. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals who are at risk for violence and those who are emotionally disturbed and/or suffering from attachment disorders.

She has written two books on the subject; the first, How Children Become Violent: Keeping Your Kids out of Gangs, Terrorist Organizations, and cults (Acanthus Publishing 2006), was awarded the 2007 IPPY (Independent Book Publishers Award) bronze medal in the Psychology/Mental Health Category. Her second book, Youth Violence: Theory, Prevention, and Intervention (Springer Publishing 2011), is frequently utilized in the professional community and in courses and training sessions.

Frequently called upon as a leading voice in the mental health arena, she has appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, the Huffington Post Live, Discovery ID, Fox News, and CBC in Canada. Dr. Seifert is also an expert contributor for Psychology Today, with a blog, "Stop the Cycle," that has amassed over 150,000 views in the past two years. As a lecturer, Seifert has spoken in Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands, and across the United States.

She is currently finalizing her upcoming book, Failure to Attach: The Why Behind Terrorists and Mass Murderers.

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