Home > Systemwide > Service Array > Domestic Violence > Assessment of Children, Youth, and Families Affected by Domestic Violence > Assessing the Alleged Perpetrator of Domestic Violence

Assessing the Alleged Perpetrator of Domestic Violence

A detailed assessment of the alleged perpetrator of domestic violence is essential to promote effective treatment and assess safety and risk factors for any children in the home. Assessing the alleged perpetrator not only works toward holding the perpetrator accountable for the abuse, but also guides decisions about involvement and interaction with the children. It is as equally important to engage the perpetrator, as it is the victim and children, in order to obtain accurate and useful information and to develop a service and safety plan. The resources in this section provide tools and guidance to assess the alleged perpetrator.

	Domestic Violence Assessment: Alleged Perpetrator Children's Bureau (HHS) User Manual Series (2003) In Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence Presents questions to assess the alleged perpetrator of domestic violence.

Assessment and Evaluation of Men Who Batter Women
Peterman & Dixon
Journal of Rehabilitation, 2001
Discusses the assessment of males who commit domestic violence crimes, including information on ethnically and culturally sensitive approaches during assessment.

The Batterer as a Parent
Bancroft
Synergy, 6(1), 2002
Looks at the characteristics of men who batter and identifies ways in which these characteristics also influence their ability to parent appropriately.

Can Violent Parents Be Fit Parents?
Sturge (2003)
In Studies in the Assessment of Parenting
View Abstract
Reviews the dynamics of domestic violence and their implications for parent assessments, including the caregiving abilities of the parents, the reasons for violent behavior, the couple's relationship, and the quality of the child's relationship with each parent.

Parenting by Men Who Batter: New Directions for Assessment and Intervention
Edleson & Williams (2006)
View Abstract
Explores contact between abusive men and their children, including the need for comprehensive assessment and differentiated intervention strategies.

Physical Abusers and Sexual Offenders: Forensic and Clinical Strategies
Johnson (2006)
View Abstract
Explores the connection between domestic abuse and sexual violence and discusses strategies for assessing, investigating, and treating physical abusers and sexual offenders.

Updated on December 18, 2008