Domestic Violence
CAADA Domestic Abuse, Stalking and 'Honour'-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, (CAADA in partnership with Laura Richards, Consultant Violence Adviser to ACPO. 2009) This checklist, developed by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse, Bristol, Scotland, provides a checklist and guidance for assessing high risk for domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence, including risk for domestic homicide. The tool is available here in Arabic, Bengali, English, Polish, Romanian, simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese and Welsh. For additional resources, see the website.
The Danger Assessment (Jacquelyn Campbell, 2001) This tool, which requires membership and training, for assessment of risk of lethality in domestic violence situations was developed with consultation and content validity support from battered women, shelter workers, law enforcement officials, and other clinical experts on battering. The first portion of the measure assesses severity and frequency of battering by inviting women to mark on a calendar the approximate days when abusive incidents occurred, and rank the severity of the incident. The calendar portion is intended to raise the consciousness of the woman and reduce denial and minimisation of the abuse. The second portion of the measure invites the woman to complete the Danger Assessment tool which includes a range of indicators shown in formal research to increase the risk of lethality in domestic violence situations. Available in English.
Preventing Domestic Homicide of Women: An Intervention Guide (Drouin C & Droulet J, 2004) provides shelter workers guidance in the development of assessment and intervention skills for preventing intimate partner homicides. This guide provides staff with information about relationship factors, offender behaviour patterns, motivation and profile patterns of male offenders, extensive guidance on intervention including principles and practices as well as danger assessment tools. This guide is available in English.
Inventory of Spousal Violence Risk Assessment Tools Used in Canada, Department of Justice. Available in English for purchase.
- Aid to Safety Assessment Planning (ASAP) The Aid to Safety Assessment Planning is a manual that was created as a result of a partnership between the Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division, BC Ministry of Public Safety and the BC Institute Against Family Violence. The objective of this manual is to reduce the risk of violence by providing a comprehensive and coordinated safety management strategy that victim service workers can use in cooperation with other relevant justice agencies to support women in making safety assessment decisions. It was designed to examine the risk factors from the victim’s perspective and emphasizes the need for relevant agencies and the victim to work together and, where appropriate, share information on known risk factors. The manual and sample worksheet incorporates items from established tools such as the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA) and the Brief Spousal Assault Form for Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) to create appropriate safety plans. To order a copy of the ASAP manual, please visit the Centre for Counselling and Community Safety, Justice Institute of British Columbia website.
- Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) The Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) was developed collaboratively by the British Columbia Institute Against Family Violence, P. Randall Kropp, Ph.D., Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D., Henrik Belfrage, Ph.D. and the Department of Justice Canada. The development of the B-SAFER tool was based on a number of objectives: to facilitate the work of criminal justice professionals in assessing risk in spousal violence cases, guide the professionals to obtain relevant information necessary to assess level of risk, assist victims in safety planning and ultimately work to prevent future harm and more critical incidents.
- Danger Assessment The Danger Assessment is used by Victim Services in New Brunswick. In Nova Scotia, staff of transition houses, Victim Services and Child Welfare Services (under Department of Community Services) are trained to use the Danger Assessment tool, developed by Jacquelyn Campbell, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N. from the United States. The use of this tool is part of the collaborative process through the High Risk for Lethality Case Coordination Protocol Framework. Information sharing is initiated with relevant agencies if any of the primary service providers designate a woman’s file as high risk. The Danger Assessment tool is comprised of two parts: the first portion of the tool evaluates severity and frequency of abuse by providing the woman with a calendar of the previous year. The woman is asked to mark dates of past abuse on a calendar. Incidents are ranked from least to most severe. Indicators include: slapping, pushing, punching, kicking, bruises, “beating up” (i.e. burns, broken bones and miscarriage), threat to use a weapon and finally, use of a weapon with wounds. The second portion of the tool is a 20-item instrument which includes a weighted scoring system to count yes/no responses of risk factors linked with intimate partner homicide. For more information, please see the website.
Trafficking
The Causes and Consequences of Re-Trafficking: Evidence from the IOM Human Trafficking Database (International Organization for Migration, 2010). This publication discusses the significant causes and consequences (risks) of re-trafficking, identifying women, children and young adults as most vulnerable to re-trafficking. Available in English.
The IOM Handbook on Direct Assistance for Victims of Trafficking (International Organization for Migration, 2007). This provides a list of specific risk factors that may arise when the working with victims of trafficking. Available in English.
Trafficking Assessment for Children (United Kingdom). Available in English.
Other
Additional Risk Assessment Tools (VAWNet). Available in English.
Forced marriage and Crimes Committed in the Name of "Honour": Domestic Abuse, Stalking and 'Honour'-based Violence Risk Identification Checklists (United Kingdom: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse, 2009). Available in 13 languages with additional Guidance available in English.
See additional guidance on risk assessments in the Security Module.