Inventory of Spousal Violence Risk Assessment Tools Used in Canada

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5. Description of Tools, Investigative Checklists and Protocols

5.1 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 FamilyViolence. 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.

The ASAP[7] manual outlines eleven (11) Abuser Factors that identify the abuser’s actions that increase a woman’s risk of being abused or decrease her level of safety.

11 Abuser

1. Abuser’s Violence
2. Violent Threats, Ideation and Intent
3. Escalation of Physical/Sexual Violence or Threats
4. Violations of Civil and Criminal Court Orders
5. Negative Attitudes about Violence against Women in Relationships
6. Other Criminality
7. Response to Shifts in Power and Control Dynamics
8. Employment or Financial Problems
9. Substance Use Problems
10. Mental Health Problems
11. Other Abuser Factors e.g. Access to Firearms, Significant Life Change

It also includes twelve (12) Safety Support Factors that outline what a victim needs to ensure the best possible safety plan while identifying barriers to her safety.

Safety

1. Level of Personal Support
2. Living Situation
3. Level of Fear
4. Barriers Created by Social Attitudes or Beliefs
5. Impacts of Abuse
6. Employment and Financial Concern
7. Child-related Concerns
8. Substance Abuse
9. Access to Services
10. Responsivity to Services
11. Provision of Information
12. Coordination of Services

Overall, there are five (5) key steps in using the ASAP manual

1. Gather the information;
2. Identify the presence and relevance of abuser and safety support factors;
3. Develop risk scenarios;
4. Work with the woman on her safety plan and;
5. Note priority actions.

The ASAP manual is currently being used by victims’ advocates and Victim Services in New Brunswick. In British Columbia, collaborative efforts between Victim Services and criminal justice personnel have been established locally in some areas of the province.

To order a copy of the ASAP manual, please visit the Centre for Counselling and Community Safety, Justice Institute of British Columbia web site: http://www.jibc.ca/research/publications (date accessed: April 10, 2009.)

5.2 Alberta Relationship Threat Assessment Management Initiative (ARTAMI)

The Alberta Relationship Threat Assessment Management Initiative (ARTAMI) is a provincial, multi-disciplinary resource designed by a group of experts to help victims by working to reduce and prevent serious violence and death in high-risk family relationships and stalking situations.

The ARTAMI Threat Assessment Unit includes a Crown prosecutor, a family law expert, a victim safety specialist, a Children’s Services liaison, four RCMP members, four municipal police officers in addition to having access to the services of a forensic psychologist.

The unit provides a wide range of services including expert recommendations on risk and threat assessments to police, prosecutors, child intervention case workers, women’s shelters, corrections personnel, and mental health experts in order to help victims of high-risk relationship violence and stalking.

5.3 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.

This tool includes a checklist of ten (10) risk factors[8] and an interview guide. The first five (5) risk factors relate to a person’s history of intimate partner violence:

• 1. Violent Acts
• 2. Violent Threat or Thoughts
• 3. Escalation
• 4. Violations of Court Orders
• 5. Violent Attitudes

The second section relates to a person’s history of psychological (personal) and social (interpersonal) adjustment problems:

• 6. General Criminality
• 7. Intimate Relationship Problems
• 8. Employment Problems
• 9. Substance Use Problems
• 10. Mental Health Problems

The B-SAFER also includes a Recommended Risk Management Strategies section regarding monitoring/surveillance, control/supervision, assessment/treatment and victim safety planning in addition to a conclusory opinions section regarding case prioritization, life-threatening violence, imminent violence and likely victims.

The tool is currently being used by municipal police domestic violence units in British Columbia. In New Brunswick, B-SAFER is being used by both the RCMP and municipal police departments.

For more information on this tool, please refer to the following websites. http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2005/rr05_fv1-rr05_vf1/index.html (date accessed: April 10, 2009.)
http://www.proactive-resolutions.com/ (date accessed: April 10, 2009.)

5.4 Court Information Package

In Prince Edward Island, all municipal police departments and the RCMP currently use a Court Information Package designed specifically to capture specific information in domestic violence cases.

5.5 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 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 refer to the following website: http://www.dangerassessment.org/ (date accessed: April 10, 2009.)

5.6 Domestic Violence Court Project

In Moncton, New Brunswick, a Domestic Violence Coordinating Team was developed as part of the Domestic Violence Court Project. The team includes a Crown prosecutor, a probation officer, a victim services coordinator, a court coordinator, legal aid services and police agencies. Weekly communication occurs on cases appearing in court for sentencing, court monitoring of an offender’s sentence or when there is a request to change a contact condition order between the victim and the accused.

A Domestic Violence Court Docket is circulated weekly to the social workers and all involved in the Domestic Violence Court, in order to facilitate a coordinated response for domestic violence files. Social workers provide a court coordinator with the status of their case (i.e., court orders and their intervention plan) before the Court of Queen’s Bench which avoids conflicting court orders coming from the Court of Queen’s Bench and the Provincial Court. It also allows a judge to make a more informed decision and avoids duplication or lack of intervention. The court coordinator is responsible for sharing this information with the Domestic Violence Coordinating Team.

5.7 Domestic Violence Inventory (DVI)

The Domestic Violence Inventory, developed by Behaviour Data Systems Ltd., is used as an optional tool by Community Corrections personnel in the province of Nova Scotia, to assess risk and need levels of offenders charged with a domestic violence offence. When a case is categorized as high risk for lethality, spousal/intimate partner violence is flagged and case management strategies specific to domestic violence are implemented. All offenders charged with domestic violence must attend a domestic violence educational program.

This self administered tool includes six scales: Truthfulness Scale, Violence Scale, Control Scale, Alcohol Scale, Drugs Scale and Stress Copies Abilities Scale. The results of the DVI support the general/overall risk assessment provided by the Level of Service Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) and are also included in pre-sentence and post-sentence reports.

For more information on the Domestic Violence Inventory, please visit the following website. http://www.bdsltd.com/TestsA_DVI.asp (date accessed: April 10, 2009.)

5.8 Domestic Violence Police Investigation Checklist

Municipal police departments and the RCMP in Prince Edward Island currently use the Domestic Violence Police Investigation Checklist.

The checklist was developed by a committee comprised of representatives from all police agencies in the province, Victim Services, Court Services, Crown attorneys and a provincial family violence coordinator. The committee oversees the Victims of Family Violence Act[9] and coordinates police training related to family violence.

This checklist is a form completed by the investigating officer and is reviewed by the police supervisor. Both mechanisms are in place to ensure comprehensive police investigations of domestic violence incidents. Information regarding the accused, available evidence and notification of victim services is included in the form. The development of the investigative checklist involved the review of similar checklists and was tailored to meet the particular needs of this area.

5.9 Domestic Violence Supplementary Report Form (DVSRF)

The Domestic Violence Supplementary Report Form (DVSRF) was created by the Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) Behavioural Science Section, in response to the May-Iles Inquest.[10]

Police services throughout Ontario have been provided with this investigative checklist which includes a list of 19 risk factors, to be administered by front-line investigating officers in domestic violence cases. Supervisors are required to sign off on all forms and are consulted on high risk cases regarding next steps and established protocols.

Some of the identified risk factors include past history of violence, access to firearms, sexual abuse and bizarre and unexplained behaviour. Once an interviewis completed, the Crown examines the results which assist in informing decisions on bail issuance for individuals accused of domestic violence.

5.10 Family Violence Investigation Report (FVIR)

The Family Violence Investigation Report was developed by the Family Violence Police Advisory Committee[11] in the province of Alberta. As part of the developmental phase of this form, many different risk assessment tools were reviewed. It was piloted in 14 sites across Alberta between January 2007 and May 2007. The pilot sites were comprised of three municipal police services, one First Nations police service and ten RCMP detachments in the province.

The form was designed as an investigative/case management tool. The 19-item report form was created to assist police departments in the province of Alberta in a number of areas: gathering critical information within 12 hours of the incident, assisting in the writing of a police report, planning victim safety and raising awareness of front-line officers on risks associated with suspect history, complainant’s perception of personal safety and future violence and information on relationship background.

This checklist is useful for addressing questions and information required for bail hearings, providing information for sentencing considerations and providing Crown prosecutors with a quick overview of cases. Furthermore, it helps direct victim safety planning strategies and offender management plans.

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• [7] Reprinted with permission.
• [8] Reprinted with permission.
• [9] The Victims of Family Violence Act is a provincial law that came into effect on December 16, 1996.
• [10] Arlene May was murdered in March 1996 by her former boyfriend who then killed himself. Arlene's murder followed months of abuse, threats and harassment, which she had reported to the police numerous times. At the time of the murder/suicide, he had been charged with several offences against Arlene and was free on bail that prohibited him from having any contact with her. The Chief Coroner of Ontario decided to hold an inquest into her death and into the issue of domestic violence generally. Inquest into the deaths of Arlene May and Randy Iles, February 16 - July 2, 1998, Coroners Courts, Toronto, Ontario. http://www.owjn.org/archive/arlene.htm
  (date accessed: April 10, 2009)
• [11] The Public Security Division of Alberta Solicitor General chairs the committee which is comprised of officials from the municipal police services, the RCMP, First Nations Police Service, the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, Children and Youth Services, and the Criminal Justice Division of Alberta Justice. The committee meets on a regular basis with a focus on protection issues and the criminal justice system.

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