Guidelines for police on conducting risk assessment of intimate partner violence against women

• Author: European Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 24-37

2. Guidelines for police on conducting risk assessment of intimate partner violence against women

European Institute for Gender Equality24

2. Guidelines for police on conducting risk

assessment of intimate partner violence

against women

2.1. Main principles

Principle 1: Prioritising victim safety

The immediate and ongoing safet y and

well-being of those affected by intimate part-

ner violence must be the firs t priority and re-

sult of the risk assessment process.

To this end, the first guiding principle for police

risk assessment is to effectively recognise and as-

sess the risk of repeat vic timisation, intimidation

and retaliation in the context of intimate partner

violence, and to ensure that victims receive the

most effective support possible to reduce that

risk.

In prioritising victim safety and well-being, the

process of risk assessment should be used not to

limit eligibility for services but, rather, to identify

when enhanced or expedited intervention is nec-

essary in order to keep women and children safe.

In this way, risk assessment is not an end in itself

but an entr y point for female victims of intimate

partner violence to the victim support system, re-

gardless of risk level.

HOW: Key elements for applying the

principle of victim safet y in risk assessment

In apply ing the principle of vic tim s afety in risk

assessment, police lea dership should ensure

the following.

Identification and assessment of vic-

tims’ individual safety needs is carried

out on a case-by-case basis.

Risk assessment facilitates women ’s

entry into the victim suppor t system in

accordance with national procedures. The

type and level of support provided should

be determined according to the level of

risk and degree of severity identified.

Police risk assessment recognises the dy-

namic nature of risk by ensuring that

follow-up assessments take place to

evaluate possible changes in risk levels.

Risk should be assessed systematically,

on a regular basis and in close coopera-

tion with the victim. The frequency of fol-

low-up assessments may be determined

on a case-by-case basis and according to

the level of risk identified.

Risk assessment should directl y corre-

spond to strategies for risk management

tailored to the victim’s specif ic safety

needs and should respond to the level

of risk identified.