The article focuses on the last quarter-century, which has seen the reshaping of the concept of dangerousness but little improvement in the abilities of frontline decision makers to make violence risk assessments. Research, clinical practice and law have changed as a result of evolving thinking and new data, shown in the following ways: (1) Risk assessment concepts and associated research models have altered the focus to probabilistic thinking and ideas of graduated interventions as opposed to the Yes-No, In-Out dichotomies formerly associated with the concept of dangerousness; (2) Likewise, it has become clear that dangerousness is a legal and not a medical concept, in which the actual clinical corollary is risk of future violent behavior; and (3) The accuracy of psychiatric assessments of future violent behavior is limited, but it may increase for specific subgroups within specified time frames and locations. References