USA: Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 1:40 PM

According to the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, the Gender Fairness Implementation Committee of the Minnesota State Supreme Court has developed a Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide. This bench guide uses the work of various researchers who have developed lethality and re-offense assessment tools.

 

The guide has a list of eleven questions focusing on risk factors. Questions include;

 

  • “Does alleged perpetrator have access to a firearm?”
  • “Has alleged perpetrator ever attempted to strangle or choke the victim?”

The bench guide also contains a section entitled “How To Use The Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Bench Guide.” The “how to use” lists include how to obtain information regarding the risk factors from various legal personnel and how to provide victims information on the risk factors. The bench guide is for use “at all stages of family, Order for Protection, civil or criminal” cases involving domestic violence.

 

 For a copy of the Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment Bench Guide, click here.

 

Compiled from: Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women

http://www.mcbw.org/