2. The Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA)
Stephen D. Hart
Simon Fraser University

3. Part 1
Introduction

4. Spousal Assault
Actual, attempted, or threatened harm perpetrated against a current or former intimate partner
includes fear-inducing behavior(“stalking”)
ignores gender of victim and perpetrator
ignores legal status of intimate relationship

5. SA as a Choice
The proximal cause of spousal assault is a decision to act violently
The decision is influenced by a host of biological, psychological, and social factors
Neurological insult, hormonal abnormality
Psychosis, personality disorder
Exposure to violent models, attitudes that condone violence

6. Prevalence
Spousal assault (SA) is a major threat to the well-being of women
lifetime risk of victimization is about 25%
one-year risk of victimization is about 12%
accounts for about 50% of all violent crimes reported to police
at least 25-35% of all adult male offenders are known to have committed spousal assault
recidivism rate of perpetrators is substantial

7. Issue
Domestic violence is a greater problem in the criminal justice system than any other form of violence, including robbery, sexual violence, or stalking
Risk assessment is a cornerstone of offender management
Sentencing and release decisions
Treatment planning
Safety planning for survivors

8. Role of SA Risk Assessment
Criminal justice
Charges, bail, sentencing, correctional programming, probation, parole, restraining orders, duty to warn/protect
Civil justice
Custody, visitation, culpability for harm
Other
Treatment, advocacy/support, education

9. Violence Risk Assessment
Evaluations of people to:
Characterize the risk they will commit violence in the future
Develop interventions to manage risk
The clinical task is to:
Understand how and why people chose to act violently in the past
Determine whether these or other factors might lead the person to make similar choices in the future

10. Goals of Risk Assessment
Prevent violence More specifically...
Guide intervention
Improve consistency of decisions
Improve transparency of decisions
Protect clients’ rights
Liability management

11. Nature of Violence Risk
Violence risk is a multi-faceted construct
Nature: what kinds of violence might occur?
Severity: how serious might the violence be?
Frequency: how often might violence occur?
Imminence: how soon might violence occur?
Likelihood: what is the probability that violence might occur?

12. Why Professional Guidelines?
“Raw” clinical prediction doesn’t work well:
unreliable
low accuracy (validity)
not accountable
Actuarial prediction doesn’t work well:
inflexible
poor content appropriateness
optimized (specific to sample, outcome criterion, and time of follow-up)

13. Why Professional Guidelines? (cont.)
Incorporates literature/science
Incorporates clinical knowledge
analogous to medical guidelines
Structures and informs decisions that are already being made

14. Specific Guidelines Make Sense
General violence measures are a good place to start, but can be misused
Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised
Violence Risk Appraisal Guide
Informed assessment improves upon traditional assessment
many risk factors mistaken for “sympathy” factors (e.g., suicidality, childhood victimization, employment problems)

15. Part 2
Content of the SARA

16. Development of the SARA
Review of clinical and empirical literature
Format decision
Guide/aide memoire versus psychological test
Selection of risk factors
Few, supported in literature, not discriminatory, static and dynamic, easily coded
Consultation with clinicians and academics

17. SARA Items: Criminal History
Past assault of family members
Past assault of strangers/acquaintances
Past violation of conditional release or community supervision

18. SARA: Psychosocial Adjustment
Recent relationship problems
Recent employment problems
Victim of and/or witness to family violence
Recent substance abuse/dependence
Recent suicidal or homicidal ideation/intent
Recent psychotic and/or manic symptoms
Personality disorder

19. Special Case: The Personality Disordered Offender
Borderline Personality
What is it?
Why does it matter?
Psychopathic Personality
relationship to violence and recidivism
relationship to treatment

20. SARA: Spousal Assault History
Past physical assault
Past sexual assault/sexual jealousy
Past use of weapons and/or threats of death
Recent escalation in severity or frequency
Past violation of no-contact orders
Extreme minimization or denial
Attitudes that support or condone assault

21. SARA Items: Current Offense
Severe and/or sexual assault
Use of weapons and/or threats of death
Violation of no-contact orders
Note: Can substitute “Most recent” for “Current”

22. Summary of Items General Violence risk factors
Criminal history variables
Psychosocial variables
“Part 1” of SARA form
Spousal Assault risk factors
Spousal assault variables
Current or most recent offense
“Part 2” of SARA form

23. Contact Information:
Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British Columbia Canada V5A 1S6
Tel: / Fax: URL: