Useful links

Module 3 – Risk Assessment by Police to Improve Responses to Cases of DV

Welcome! By the end of this Module you will increase your knowledge and skills on: 

  1. Risk assessment & how it should be used by the police to protect victims when investigating cases of DV
  2. Risk assessment tools: what makes for a high quality tool
  3. Risk management: how to best respond to/manage cases of different risk levels, to maximize safety & effectiveness of policing

Police are often the first point of contact & help for women victims of DV

What are main elements of risk assessment? 

Risk assessment challenges experienced by police in cases of DV

Go to this section

Identifying & documenting risk factors

Main risk factors from both victim & perpetrator side

Recommendations for asking about risk factors

How to collect proof?

Definition of levels of risk

Go to this section

Risk assessment tools & risk management for cases of DV

Criteria of a good risk assessment tool

Risk Management Strategies

Optimal protective measures for NO or LOW risk

Go to this section

Risk assessment by police

of all calls to police are DV cases
~ 0 %

Police have to quickly decide how to protect women & their children

There are different methods for risk assessment, often performed in a very short amount of time and under stressful conditions.

Police tend to use a combination of risk assessment tools & professional judgement & experience to assess risk factors

Standardized risk assessment tools are to assist police in determining the level of risk to decide how to respond

Elements of risk assessment

Police look for clues, risk factors as markers of the likelihood of danger for the victim & her children

When risk factors are identified actions can be taken by the police to attempt to first stop the violence & prevent more violence 

It is important that police officers are able to identify indicators of risk/patterns of abuse behaviour & record that information accurately

Timely referrals should be made to DV specialists so they can follow up with a comprehensive risk assessment & safety planning

  • The assessment of the risk of violent recidivism is a technical-scientificactivity that consists of estimating the probability of a new violentvictimisation occurring in a given period of time, based on the evaluation ofa series of risk/protection factors that have empirically demonstrated theirassociation, and the strength of this association, with violent recidivism, especially that of a serious or lethal nature.
  • It is important to know everything that has happened around each factor and indicator.
  • The risk factors and indicators determining the probability of recidivism and therisk to which the victim is exposed may be the following: These factors and indicators have been extracted from the VioGén risk assessment system, a pioneering tool for assessing risk in cases of gender-based violence in Spain bypolice forces.
  • The victim’s self-perceived risk must be taken into account, as it may be difficultfor her to specifically measure each of the indicators, but she may be afraid ofknowing her aggressor as a whole and how he acts in certain situations.
  • In addition to asking questions and guiding the woman on these factors and indicators, it is important to let her express herself and tell the facts as sheremembers them. Do not cut the woman off in her story so that, on the onehand, she feels free to express herself and feels confident, and on the otherhand, so that she does not forget any of the information she is telling.

Risk assessment challenges experienced by police in cases of DV

It can be frustrating to be repeatedly called to ‘minor issues’ at the same address
In many domestic abuse cases, it appears that both parties have been abusive to each other, so it is hard to tell who is the victim & who is the perpetrator.
Victims frequently call the police but then will not want to press charges against the perpetrator & say they want to stay with the perpetrator.
It is often unclear how best to help victims who do not support police action against the perpetrator, so that it can feel like a ‘waste of time’.
Police have heavy workload so hard to find the time for the paperwork.

  • Women who suffer or have suffered gender-based violence are usually in a situation of stress and/or trauma, as well as having a strong emotional bond with the aggressor, which makes it difficult for them to tell the facts.  This is why the state security forces and bodies must make a special effort to empathise with the victim and get to know this type of crime in order to be able to collect good data.

  • Police officers may encounter numerous difficulties in assessing and collecting the report. The victim’s state of nervousness, theemotional attachment that can make the victim minimise the facts in her account, not having an adequate space for the victim to feelsafe to talk about what happened, the fear of reprisals, as well as the possible lack of training in the matter that makes it difficult tointerpret the information received.

Risk factors to look for in cases of DV

  • Combination of different types of violence used including physical, psychological, sexual, cyber-related to achieve coercive control
  • Severity of violence increasing: threat or use of weapons, injuries more serious each time
  • Increased frequency in the pattern of violence
  • disability,
  • mental illness,
  • substance abuse,
  • low-income,
  • lack of family support.
  • history of assault against current or previous partners,
  • mental disorder,
  • addiction,
  • unemployment,
  • demonstrations of extreme jealousy.

Recommendations for asking about risk factors

  1. Should take place in safe spaces, where there is no possibility for the victim to see the aggressor so she can express herself freely without fear
  2. If possible, the complaint & risk assessment should be handled by specialised trained staff, preferably women
  3. Officers use friendly, empathetic & non-technical language
  4. Officers are objective, avoid value judgements
  5. Victim’s self-perceived risk is always included
  6. Officers provide guidance to the victim on how to structure a complaint so more likely to file
  7. Officers focus on documenting the history & pattern of the violence & not just the current, single event
  • It should take place in objectively and subjectively safe spaces, where there is no possibility for the victim to seethe aggressor and where she can express herself freely and without fear.
  • Risk assessment should be extremely objective, avoiding value judgements and the officer answering assessment questionswithout first consulting with the woman and/or without the woman having been able to express herself sufficiently.
  • It’s highly recommended that the officer systematically gives the complainant the relevant indications on how to structure thecomplaint in order to make it effective, as well as making it easier for her to recount the history of violence that coulddetermine the existence of habitual abuse and not to focus on a single specific event.

Proof of risk factors

  • Take photographs on site: photographs increase the likelihood of prosecution by 50% to record things that may not be described later in the written report
  • Locate & interview multiple witnesses & interview children in the home: Likelihood of prosecution improves 60% when an officer lists more than one witness on a domestic violence report
  • Identify & list other possible, viable charges against the perpetrator in the written report, for example child endangerment
  • Complete the investigation the same day & forward the report to the prosecutor’s office as soon as possible

Definition of levels of risk

Risk levels can be classified as: not identified, low, medium, high and extreme. A risk estimate should never be underestimated, as even if the level of risk is low at a given time, it can rise at any time.

Low

Current evidence does not indicate a likelihood of serious harm to victim, e.g. usually verbal argument between partners

Identifiable indicators of risk, perpetrator has potential to cause serious harm but is unlikely to do so unless there is a change in circumstances

Identifiable indicators of risk with potential for worsening at any time & impact serious; usually history of abuse & violence extreme, with partner showing a total disregard for wellbeing of victim

Imminent & immediate threat of severe harm or even death to the victim

→ perpetrator has demonstrated both the intent & capability to inflict severe harm so urgent need for intervention to protect the victim

It’s important that there are always two specialised police officers as a reference for the woman, who will follow up on her case and ensure that the protective measures are carried out after the assessment.

Whatever their level of risk, victims should know that they can turn to them in the event of any incident, and that they should have a new risk assessment carried out, thus adapting police protection measures to their needs and situation.

Risk assessment tool should…

  • be based on proven research, not created based on personal opinions, judgements, ideas
  • be tested with victims to ensure the questions or topics are well understood
  • only be used after receiving training on how to use
  • be reviewed each year to assess if it meets the needs of frontline police to accurately perform an initial risk assessment

Risk Management for Cases of DV

Frontline police do NOT provide counseling or advice to victims

→ perform initial risk assessment and safety planning

→ then refer to domestic violence specialist services within or outside of police services

Risk Management Strategies

Monitor/surveillance

officer performs interviews, visits to victim or perpetrator (or both) in order to monitor any changes in level of risk

Supervision

officer determines what restrictions to place on perpetrator to ensure victim safety, e.g. arrest, restraining order, etc

Referral for treatment/support

refer victim to hospital or clinic, refer to perpetrator hotline or programme, victim services hotline or programme, referral for substance or alcohol abuse, crisis intervention

Optimal protective measures for NO or LOW risk

NO IDENTIFIED RISK

 INFORMATION & ASSISTANCE:

  • Information for victim on guidance, information & assistance on the subject. Information on resources available in area, both crime victim assistance offices (justice) & social services
  • Provide victim with recommendations on self-protection, tailored to the specific circumstances of the victim
  • Information for perpetrators on specialised perpetrator programmes

LOW IDENTIFIED RISK

INFORMATION & ASSISTANCE+ OPERATIONAL:

FOR VICTIM: Telephone and/or personal contacts of the police, discreet & agreed upon with the victim

FOR PERPETRATOR:

  • Inform that his acts of domestic violence are subject to police control &, if applicable, the content & scope of court measures, e.g. protection order
  • If he has a firearm licence, require him to voluntarily hand over the weapon(s) & licence to police & subsequently request the judicial withdrawal of both

Risk Assessment for Particular Groups:

Take advantage of the window of opportunity to offer support, help & protection for victims

  • Assess for physical & cognitive vulnerabilities
  • Assess for victim dependency on perpetrator
  • Assess for social isolation
  • Assess for power & control dynamics
  • Assess if communication challenges exist
  • Assess for increased vulnerability
  • Assess for escalation of substance abuse or violence
  • Assess for manipulation & control
  • Assess for challenges in reporting & credibility
  • Coordinate with addiction services
  • Assess for physical and cognitive vulnerabilities: Older victims may have physical limitations, chronic illnesses, or disabilities that make them more vulnerable to domestic violence and less able to protect themselves or seek help
  • Assess for victim dependency on perpetrator: Victims may have to rely on perpetrators for daily needs, complicating reporting of the violence or escaping from it as older adults may fear the stigma or fear being placed in care facilities
  • Assess for social isolation: Older victims may be socially isolated due to mobility issues, loss of social networks, or the deliberate actions to cut them off from others
  • Assess for power and control Dynamics: Perpetrator may treat the victim as less capable or unworthy of respect, control their finances, and use emotional and psychological abuse, including manipulation, threats, to make them compliant
  • Assess if communication challenges exist: Hearing, speech impairments, or reluctance to disclose due to fear or mistrust may hinder communication and decision-making

Challenges with Risk Management

Police: Limited resolutions

“You let this go on for so long, & now you're expecting me to go in and in 5-minutes I'm going to fix it … & it's frustrating, because we don’t — we're just a temporary fix, basically.”
police officer
police officer
“We can't fix something in 5-minutes that took them 10-15-years to go ahead & propagate.”
police officer
police officer
“We're there to keep the peace, & we're not a long-term solution, by any means.”
police officer
police officer

Police: Role Overload

Risk assessment for cases DV difficult to predict femicide

Police are not trained counsellors

Need for social worker assistance for the complex problems in DV settings, but often delay in victims receiving this support

Performing Risk Management

“A woman arrives at a police office claiming to be scared because her husband has grabbed her by the neck. She has no physical marks but is in a state of anxiety. They have two children aged 4 and 7 and were in the house at the momentof the incident.”

What questions could frontline officers ask her in order to be able to perform risk management?

What steps would you take to protect this woman & prevent another assault?

Testing new ways to improve police response

Rapid Video Response (RVR) tool in the UK: provide victims in a safe, secure place with an immediate video first response for when the perpetrator is not present: 3-minute response rate vs. 32 hours officers able to be more efficient and spend less time on each incident with better outcomes. 

Co-responders: police + social worker to respond to cases of DV at the scene; promising practice to improve crisis de-escalation, facilitate individuals’ connection to services, reduce pressure on the criminal justice and health care systems, and promote cost-effectiveness

Sources:

https://science.police.uk/delivery/case-studies/improving-response-to-victims-of-domestic-violence/ 

International Association of Chiefs of Police, Assessing the Impact of Co-Responder Team Programs

Key Takeaways

Key risk factors

Number of repeat victimisation & time since last incident.

Risk assessment

DYNAMIC process, different over time

Coercive control

Pay attention to patterns to understand why female victims are not able to leave the perpetrator; utilize third-party witness statements & physical or digital evidence as proof of this

Role of Police

Frontline police make an initial risk assessment on site → then refer to specialized staff for comprehensive risk assessment.

Self Assessment

Back to Module II
Go to Module IV

Co-funded by the CERV Daphne EC Program. Grant Agreement no. 101096908