Gavin de Becker

by FamilyEducation Staff

Gavin de Becker is widely regarded as the leading U.S. expert on the prediction and management of violence. He is the best-selling author of The Gift of Fear and Protecting the Gift. His work has earned him three Presidential appointments and a position on a congressional committee. He was twice appointed to the President's Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Justice, and was a principal advisor on a federal research project into mentally ill people who stalk public figures.

He served two years on the Governor's Advisory Board at the California Department of Mental Health. He is currently co-chair of the Domestic Violence Council Advisory Board, and a Senior Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy.

As a consultant to many major media figures, government agencies, Fortune-500 companies, and universities, de Becker has overseen the assessment and management of more than 25,000 cases. Clients include the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Los Angeles County District's Attorney's Office, and many others.

He has appeared as an expert on every major news show, and has been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, Maria Shriver, Sam Donaldson, Mike Wallace, and Ed Bradley. He's been quoted and profiled in TIME and Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, the New York Times, and many other publications. He is also a contributing editor to USA WEEKEND magazine. As a regular speaker to law enforcement, government, and victims' groups, de Becker has addressed such topics as stalking, mental illness in America, workplace violence, public figure safety, crimes against women, and protecting children from violence.

His first book, The Gift of Fear, was an instant #1 national bestseller, which spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list. The book has been published in 14 languages.

Find more information on de Becker and his firm, Gavin de Becker, Inc..