Risk assessment of intimate partner violence

AuthorEuropean Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
Pages19-27
2. Risk assessment of intimate partner violence
19
Risk assessment and management of intimate partner violence in the EU
2. Risk assessment of intimate partner
violence
(51) Nicholls, T. L., Desmarais, S. L., Douglas, K. L. and Kropp, P. R. (2006), Violence risk assessments with perpetrators of intimate partner abuse, in Family
Interventions in domestic violence: Ahandbook of gender-inclusive theory and treatment, J. Hamel and T. Nicholls, (eds.), Springer: New York, pp. 275-301.
(52) Dutton, D. G. and Kropp, P. R. (2008), A review of domestic violence risk instruments, Trauma, Violence & Abuse, Vol. 1, No 2, pp. 171-181.
(53) Guo, B. and Harstall, C. (2008), Spousal violence against women: Preventing recurrence. Institute of Health Economics. Alberta, Canada. Available at:
https://www.ihe.ca/advanced-search/spousal-violence-against-women-preventing-recurrence
This chapter provides an over view of risk assess-
ment approaches, those involved, and special-
ised instruments implemented in the field. It also
highlights the critical issues that might arise dur-
ing the procedures of risk assessment.
Key point
In order to design a better response to
victims’ safet y, and to reduce harm, it is
essential that the drafters of risk as sessment
procedures become familiar with theoretical
approaches and the way risk assessment is
implemented, so as to be able to proceed
towards the development of more accurate
ways of estimating risk.
Risk assessment is a decision-making process
through which we determine the best course of
action by estimating, identifying, qualif ying or
quantifying risk  (51) and its purpose is to reduce
harm to female vic tims of intimate par tner vio -
lence and their children. The importance of im-
plementing it lays in the identification of all levels
of risk, namely standard, medium and high, as
well as victims specific needs, which in turn will
facilitate the gathering of detailed and relevant
information about the vic tim and the perpetra-
tor in intimate partner violence cases. T hrough
this, better responses to vic tim safety tailored
to a womans specific needs could be designed.
Equally important is the fac t that risk assessment
provides an enhanced paper trail of evidence
should the vic tim choose not to go forward with
the case, allowing prosecutors to make more in-
formed decisions about whether to proceed with
cases when victims retract their original state-
ment. It also helps prosecutors to ensure stake-
holder accountability for decisions on victim safe-
ty and offender management .
2.1. Approaches
Risk assessment of intimate partner violence is
implemented within EU Member States accord-
ing to different approaches and, in some cases,
a combination of approaches is used. The main
approaches to risk assessment are unstructured
clinical decision-making, the ac tuarial approach
and the s tructured professional judgement ap-
proach.
2.1.1. Unstructured clinical decision-
making
Unstructured clinical decision-making is an in-
formal approach to risk assessment used by
professionals and practitioners in the f ield of
intimate partner violence, including the police,
social workers, health professionals and victim
support services. It is perhaps the most widely
used approach to risk assessment of violence
as it does not involve any constraints or guide-
lines in performing the assessment and can be
carried out by professionals across sectors (52).
In this approach, the professional collects infor-
mation and renders a risk assessment based on
their own subjec tive judgement and discretion;
these are justified by the professionals qualifica-
tions and experience (53). Some have argued that
one strength of this approach is that it allows for
flexibility and for the professional to consider
the offenders specific behaviours and circum-
stances in the development of specific violence

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