Introduction

• Author: European Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 11-12

Introduction

11

A guide to risk assessment and risk management of intimate partner violence against women for police

Introduction

(33) World Health Organisation (2017), Violence against women (available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women).

Almost 1 in 3 women in an intimate partner re-

lationship in the EU Member States has experi-

enced physical and/or sexual violence, and glob-

ally 38 % of all murders of women are intimate

partner femicides (33). Both figures indicate the

deep societal roots and persistence of gen-

der-based violence in par ticular and of gender

inequality in general.

Risk assessment procedures and risk manage-

ment strategies, when properly implemented,

can ef ficiently protect female victims of intimate

partner violence and prevent their revictimisa-

tion.

This guide is specifically centred on intimate

partner violence, since it is the most widespread

form of violence against women, affec ting wom-

ens well-being, autonomy and equal access to

opportunities. In par ticular, it focuses on risk as-

sessment and risk management processes and

practices implemented by the police.

The police are considere d to be a key actor in the

criminal justice system of all EU Member States,

since they are often tasked with the front-line

management of intimate partner violence, taking

the lead role in formal risk assessment processes.

What this guide offers

The guide to risk assessment and risk manage-

ment of intimate partner violence for the police,

prepared by the European Institute for Gender

Equality (EIGE) aims to propose how the police

in EU Member States can approach the imple-

mentation of risk assessment processes and risk

management strategies. This guide provides the

police with practical guidelines and recommen-

dations on how to develop and implement risk

assessment and risk management approaches.

The primary purpose of risk assessment and risk

management is to reduce harm to women and

children and to reduce reoffending by perpetra-

tors. Both processes are part of a sys tem-wide

response to preventing intimate partner violence

against women. More specifically, risk assessment

facilitates the gathering of detailed and relevant

information about the victim and the perpetrator

in cases of intimate partner violence, as well as

the identification of the risk level (standard, me-

dium or high). Risk assessment outcomes should

therefore be directly linked to risk management

strategies. Assessing multiple types and levels

of risk facilitates the linking of risk assessment to

risk management, helping to ensure the immedi-

ate and ongoing safety and well-being of women

and children.

Risk management of intimate partner violence by

the police is defined as enforcing the law and pur-

suing criminal jus tice sanct ions against the per-

petrator, and undertaking safety planning with

the victim. The development of risk management

strategies depends on the purpose and outcome

of risk assessment tools and if the system focus-

es on victim safety planning, managing perpetra-

tor behaviour or both. Risk management involves

various strategies to protect the victim as well as

to work with the perpetrator to create more ac-

countability and to reduce violent behaviour.

Risk management strategies adopted by the po-

lice and other services largely depend on the

level of risk assess ed. Proper linking of risk as-

sessment processes with subsequent risk man-

agement actions creates a system that builds in

reassessment as risk changes. As risk manage-

ment interventions are implemented, risk needs

to be reassessed to evaluate the impac t of risk

management strategies on levels and types of

risk as well as outcomes for the safety of women

and children. This guide sets out a method of im-

plementing risk management strategies.