About Jackdaw Forensic
The name “Jackdaw” was chosen with great care. These intelligent, highly social birds are known for their ability to problem-solve and make decisions collectively. They work in groups, support one another, and even cooperate with other bird species when needed. Their behaviour reflects the core values that we believe are essential in the field of forensic risk assessment and management: collaboration, adaptability, and intelligence rooted in compassion.
The idea of starting a company focused on forensic risk assessment was not a sudden decision, but rather the result of a long and steady journey. It began after my postdoctoral training at a forensic unit within a Toronto mental health hospital, when I joined Child Development Institute (CDI), and became involved in revising the EARL. This experience was a turning point. I came to truly understand the power and responsibility involved in identifying early signs of risks and antisocial behaviour in children and youth, and, just as importantly, the necessity of responding with targeted, effective intervention.
Risk identification without a clear path to risk management is not just ineffective; it’s irresponsible. Similarly, referring young people to interventions and treatment without a clear picture of the risks surrounding the youth is likely to be ineffective, waste precious resources, and in the worst-case scenario – make things worse.
The updated EARL was completed in 2021, and not long after, we began offering trainings in Sweden through the EARL/SAVRY network. This international collaboration brought together researchers and practitioners committed to early intervention. Around this time, the authors of the EARL and the SAPROF youth version joined forces to develop a child-focused version of the SAPROF, designed to complement the EARL’s risk assessment with a structured approach to identifying protective factors. The SAPROF-CV was finalized in 2023, with the first trainings held in Sweden and later that year in the UK.
In 2025, with the support of the tool’s original authors, we formally added the newly revised SAVRY to our training offerings. Looking ahead to 2026, we will also begin offering training in the ERASOR, expanding our ability to support professionals working with youth at risk for sexually harmful behaviour. These tools are not chosen lightly. Each one is selected based on its strong evidence base and proven clinical utility. Our goal is simple but vital: to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed, ethical, and effective decisions about interventions when working with vulnerable youth. In doing so, we hope to contribute to safer outcomes for these youth.
Our goal is simple but vital: to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed, ethical, and effective decisions about interventions when working with vulnerable youth.
Dr. Areti Smaragdi is a chartered Psychologist with a PhD in developmental and forensic psychologist and a passion for early identification and intervention of criminal behaviour. Areti is the founder of Jackdaw Forensic and has over a decade of experience working across Europe and North America in early intervention research, forensic risk assessment, and professional training.
She began her career studying the neurobiology and gender differences in children with disruptive and aggressive behaviour but after completing a post doc at a forensic unit in a Toronto hospital, she shifted her focus toward hands-on prevention and assessment work. She has extensive experience teaching and mentoring students in both university and community settings.
Since 2019, she also holds a senior consulting role at the Child Development Institute, where she works on the early intervention program SNAP® (Stop Now And Plan), advising on research on improving outcomes for vulnerable children. In addition to working in early intervention, Areti has played a central role in the development of two assessment tools for the identification of risk and protective factors in children with antisocial behaviour (EARL-V3 and SAPROF-CV). Her career aim is to bridge the gap between research and practice to help professionals make better-informed decisions for children and young people at risk.
Thea has been working at Jackdaw Forensic since 2021, first as a research intern, and later as a senior trainer and research associate. She completed her master’s degree in forensic psychology from Maastricht University in 2022 and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Stavanger, Norway, focusing on increasing self-regulation in young children in a classroom setting.
During her master program, she completed a one-year internship with the Child Development Institute (CDI), where she facilitated children and parent groups in the evidence-based early intervention program SNAP. During this time, she worked alongside the authors of the EARL-V3 and SAPROF-CV and became a early risk assessment champion. To date, Thea has completed over 100 EARL-V3 assessments over trained more than 200 practitioners.
Thea is passionate about translating research into practice and works actively to bridge knowledge and experience between the two fields.
Ed Hilterman provides training in SAVRY in Spanish, and SAVRY and SAPROF-YV in Dutch: elbhilterman@gmail.com
Michiel de Vries Robe provides training in SAPROF Adult, Youth, and Child version in English and Dutch: https://saprof.com/
Ruth Tully provides training in SAPROF-Youth version and SAVRY in the UK: https://tullytraining.com/
CDI organises training in EARL-V3 in Canada and North America: https://snap.childdevelop.ca/product/earl-v3/
EARL/SAVRY Network provides training in EARL-V3, SAVRY, and ERASOR in Sweden: SAVRY.se
Anette Birgerson provides training in ERASOR in Sweden: http://www.wizardskills.org
