Risk assessment for intimate partner violence: how can the police assess risk?

Abstract

The use of risk assessment tools by frontline police for intimate partner violence has the potential to make a difference to policing. In this paper, the key aspects of intimate partner violence risk assessment are outlined critically with a particular emphasis on how they can be used in practice. Two, evidence-based, exemplars are reviewed. These are the Ontario Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (ODARA), an example of the actuarial approach, and the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER), an example of the structured professional judgement approach. In addition, the victim giving his or her own appraisal of risk is discussed. All three approaches have some validity when administered properly but practical factors reduce this validity. The content of the risk assessment tools are outlined and practical concerns such as training, time to administer, reliability, validity, and the overlap of intimate partner violence with other forms of offending are discussed. A balanced overview of the strengths, weaknesses and future potential of intimate partner violence risk assessment is provided.

Triaging online child abuse material: testing a decision support tool to enhance law enforcement and investigative prioritisation

“…While there is little research specifically concerned with how decisions are made to progress online child protection operations, there are cognate studies concerned with how risk-laden decisions are taken in other fields of policing and law enforcement. As Bryant and Arditti (2019) and Kebbell (2019) recognise, a common finding in studies focussed on police risk assessment and Triaging online child abuse material decision-making involving complex social problems is an over-reliance on highly structured risk assessment tools leading to inflexible thinking and devaluing of professional judgement. In dealing with uncertainty and incomplete information, it seems that law enforcement is no different to other sectors in terms of the constant struggle to balance objectivity and subjectivity in risk-based decision-making (Weber, 1987).…”

Use of the ODARA by police officers for intimate partner violence: Implications for practice in the field

“…The concept of "risk" is ambiguous, and there is little consensus in the empirical and theoretical literature on what is meant by risk within the context of IPV (Kropp, 2004). The operationalization of "risk" as a construct and the tools used to appraise this risk can vary depending on the context in which they are being used (e.g., police vs. forensic mental health setting; pre-trial detention vs. institutional security placement) and by whom they are being used (e.g., mental health professional, police, victim support services), since these tools are designed to be practical and relevant for those using them (Ariza et al, 2016;Hoyle, 2008;Kebbell, 2019;Kropp, 2004).…”

The Validity of the ODARA in Australian Intimate Partner Violence Cases Without Prior Assault/Credible Threat or Cohabitation

“…This form of risk assessment has been shown to be somewhat more accurate and reliable than other risk assessment approaches when examining IPA risks (Hilton et al, 2010; van der Put et al, 2019). An accurate actuarial tool can be used to classify cases for further assessment and proactive risk management based on their identified probability of further violence over a given period of time (Hilton et al, 2010; Kebbell, 2019; McEwan et al, 2019). Such tools do not directly inform what kinds of risk management strategies should be used, only that increased management is warranted.…”