Acute Risk indicates a strong probability that someone will be injured or dead within about 24 hours. Which term is this?

• A. Acute Risk
• B. Chronic Risk
• C. Impairment
• D. Advocacy

Answer: (A)

Immediacy of danger is what this term captures. Acute risk describes a situation where there is a strong probability of harm happening very soon, typically within about 24 hours. In practice, recognizing acute risk signals the need for urgent safety measures, such as immediate safety planning, and potentially involving emergency services if warranted.

Chronic risk, by contrast, refers to ongoing or long-term factors that could lead to harm over a longer timeframe, not within the next day. Impairment describes a reduction in functioning or judgment that can affect safety, but it’s about the level of functioning rather than how imminent the danger is. Advocacy is about actively supporting the client’s rights and needs and isn’t a label for the immediacy of risk.

So, when you hear that danger is likely to occur within about 24 hours, the term that fits best is the one that denotes acute risk.