Risk management of intimate partner violence

• Author: European Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 28-31

3. Risk management of intimate partner violence

European Institute for Gender Equality28

3. Risk management of intimate partner

violence

(93) Hart, S. D., (2008), Preventing violence: the role of risk assessment and management, in A. C. Baldry and F. W. Winkel (eds.), Intimate partner violence

prevention and intervention, Nova Science, New York, pp. 7-18.

(94) Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women and Children, (2012), Domestic violence risk assessment and management curriculum.

Available at: http://onlinetraining.learningtoendabuse.ca/sites/default/les/lessons/DVRAM%20full-text%20December%202012_1.pdf

In this chapter, the strategies of risk manage-

ment are presented. The strategies are focused

on victims protection, and on perpetrators  ac-

countability.

Key point

Broader knowledge of the developments

on risk management needs to be acquired

by policymakers so as to develop strategies

that are tailor made to victims of intimate

partner violence needs.

Risk management aims to prevent violence

against victims of intimate partner violence by

influencing risk and protective factors (93). It in-

volves different strategies designed both to pro-

tect the victim and to work with the perpetrators

to make them more accountable and to reduce

their violent behaviour. The development of risk

management strategies is linked to risk assess-

ment procedures and depends heavily on the

purpose and outcome of risk assessment tools,

whether the system focuses exclusively on vic-

tims or on managing perpetrator behaviour (or

both). Thus, risk management strategies adopted

by the police and other ser vices, as will be ana-

lysed further on in this chapter, largely depend

on the level of risk assessed.

3.1. Strategies

Risk management by the police involves enforcing

the law and pursuing criminal justice sanctions

against the perpetrator, as well as undertaking

safety planning with the victim. These actions

are influenced by risk assessment, to reduce the

threat posed by the perpetrator and protect the

victim from further violence and abuse.

Risk management strategies can include, but are

not limited to, the following types (94).

Monitoring, which refers to strategies

that involve surveillance or repeated

assessment. The goal of monitoring is

to evaluate changes in risk factors over

time so that risk management strategies

can be revised as appropriate.

Supervision, which involves imposition

of controls or restrictions of freedoms.

The goal of supervision is to make it

(more) difficult for the perpetrator to en-

gage in further violence.

Intervention, involving measures that

focus on the perpetrator’s behaviour

or mental health, including referral to

a perpetrator programme, a substance

use treatment programme, or other re-

habilitation strategies, etc.

Victim/survivor safety planning, which

is the process of supporting or empow-

ering victims/survivors in developing

strategies and implementing measures

to increase their safety.

Ways of implementing risk management strate-

gies are described on the following page.