This section provides resources on assessing safety and risk in families affected by domestic violence. It also includes information on assessing the perpetrator. 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.
Accounting for Risk and Danger Practice Checklists: Coordinating Risk Assessment in Domestic Violence Cases (PDF - 320 KB)
Sponsler-Garcia (2015)
Battered Women's Justice Project
Provides a checklist to ensure that criminal justice professionals identify and address potential risks to victims involved in domestic violence cases based on research and risk factors associated with intimate partner violence.
Assessing Dangerousness in Men Who Abuse Women
Bancroft (2019)
Discusses danger assessments for men who abuse women and factors that could indicate a dangerous situation in a family.
Assessing Lethal and Extremely Dangerous Behavior (PDF - 82 KB)
Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness (2014)
Reviews lethality assessment factors that can help determine when lethal violence may occur.
Danger Assessment
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (2019)
Offers an assessment tool that can be used to determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner. The danger assessment instrument has been used by law enforcement officers, health-care professionals, and domestic violence advocates.
Domestic Violence Assessment Tools
DomesticShelters.org (2019)
Provides a list of tools that can be used in the assessment of domestic violence. The resource provides a description of each tool and relevant links to additional information.
Domestic Violence-Informed, Strength Based Work With Perpetrators (PDF - 329 KB)
Safe & Together Institute (2016)
Examines working with perpetrators from a domestic violence-informed, strengths-based perspective. The tip sheet describes how to choose a case, write a perpetrator pattern-based danger statement, develop change goals for perpetrators, and more.
How Effective Are Lethality Assessment Programs for Addressing Intimate Partner Violence?
National Institute of Justice (2018)
Presents the findings of a study on intimate partner violence and the impact of risk-screening lethality assessment programs on decreasing violence.
Intimate Partner Physical Injury Risk Assessment Tool (PDF - 1,013 KB)
Stith, Milner, Fleming, & Robichaux (2016)
U.S. Department of Defense, Family Advocacy Program
Presents the Intimate Partner Physical Injury-Risk Assessment Tool, an evidence-based tool used to predict the risk of domestic violence among individuals who have experienced an allegation of intimate partner violence. The tool is used to predict and manage future risk for active-duty military members and their families.
Motivations for Intimate Partner Violence in Men and Women Arrested for Domestic Violence and Court Referred to Batterer Intervention Programs (PDF - 52 KB)
Elmquist, Hamel, Shorey, Labrecque, Ninnemann, & Stuart (2014)
Partner Abuse, 5(4)
Compares motives for intimate partner violence among men and women who were arrested and referred to batterer intervention programs.
Screening for Perpetrators
The Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness (2019)
Discusses how to screen for perpetrators and how to assess the situation. The resource presents questions that should be asked to distinguish between an abuser and a victim/survivor.
Working With Women Who Perpetrate Violence: A Practice Guide (PDF - 1,024 KB)
Dieten, Jones, & Rondon (2014)
National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women
Summarizes research on violence perpetrated by women and assessing women who engage in violence.