[Risk factors for delinquent behavior in schizophrenic patients -- a survey from Krafft-Ebing till today]

The dangerousness of psychotic, especially schizophrenic patients has always been a matter for controversial discussion. On the one side psychiatrists got under suspicion to show too much understanding for deviant and aggressive acts of their patients and to forget the public need for security. On the other side experts disagreed in their opinion on the risk of aggressive behaviour. The following paper reviews the development in evaluation of risk factors from Krafft-Ebing to the presence. On this way the studies of Böker are a milestone in forensic psychiatry. The doctrine "schizophrenic = irresponsible = dangerous" was not valid any more. He showed that the risk for violence depends on much more than the diagnosis of mental illness. Based on the outcome of his study and his differentiated descriptions of subtypes of schizophrenia and their individual risk of violence modern psychological prognostic instruments were developed.