1. Identifying Risk in Domestic Abuse Part A: Theory Tayside Violence Against Women Training Consortium Spring 2011

2. Spring/Summer 2010 Contents Linking domestic abuse and risk What might prevent me recognising risks? What makes certain things a risk? What are the main risk factors I need to look out for? Identifying risks

3. Fire drills Loos Mobile phones Participation Confidentiality Self care & time out Housekeeping

4. Spring/Summer 2010 Understanding intimate partner violence: intimate terrorism/DA violent resistance situational couple violence 97% intimate terrorism; 56% situational 1970s Pittsburgh sample Johnson,2001

5. Spring/Summer 2010 Indicating subjectivity: barriers to identification exercise

6. Recognising indicators: building a picture - There are a range of hidden or explicit things that can be indicators - A range of these things might not be indicators - Recognition of your personal and subjective thresholds - That, out of context, indicators are hard to identify - Something implicit in how we socially prioritise certain types or forms of abuse over others.

7. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS+ factors Separation: heightened risk period Pregnancy/new birth: initiation/escalation period Escalation: repeat victimisation Cultural issues/sensitivity Stalking: link with murder Sexual assault: link between sexual assault and risk Suicide: heightened risk + Additional factors

8. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS - separation Attempts to leave an abusive partner, with children, is one of the most significant factors associated with severe domestic violence and death. (Websdale, 1999). The data on time-since-separation suggests that women are particularly at risk within the first two months. (Wilson and Daly, 1993; URHC Murder Review Analysis, 2002).

9. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS - pregnancy Pregnancy is often a time when abuse begins or intensifies (Mezey, 1997) About 30% of domestic abuse starts in pregnancy. Pregnant women had a greater risk of both minor and severe violence than non-pregnant women (Gelles, 1988) Domestic abuse is associated with increases in rates of miscarriage, low birth weight, premature birth, foetal injury and foetal death (Mezey 1997)

10. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS - escalation In terms of victimisation, women who experience domestic abuse are more likely to become repeat victims than any other type of crime. Research indicates that abuse tends to escalate as it is repeated. Analysis indicates that the time between incidents decreases as the number of contacts escalate.

11. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS – cultural issues Women's needs may also differ and centre around language, cultural, immigration and/or structural issues. Further questions should be asked of women who are particularly vulnerable or socially isolated in terms of: Disability (physical or mental) Difficulties speaking/reading English Isolated from friends and/or family Living in an isolated community (rural, ethnic, traveller, gay/lesbian/transgender for example) Insecure immigration status Substance misuse difficulties

12. Spring/Summer 2010 Time for a wee cup of tea!

13. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS - stalking Stalking is revealed to be related to lethal and near lethal violence against women and, coupled with physical assault, is significantly associated with murder and attempted murder. (Campbell et al. 1999; Sully Cold Case Murder Reviews, 2001) Stalking must be considered a high risk factor for both femicide and attempt femicide, and abused women should be advised accordingly. (Campbell et al. 1999)

14. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS – sexual violence The analysis of domestic sexual assaults demonstrates that those who are sexually assaulted are subjected to more serious injury. (MPS Survey 2001) Those who report a domestic sexual assault tend to have a history of other forms of domestic abuse, whether or not it has been reported previously.

15. Spring/Summer 2010 SPECSSS - suicide There is a link between dangerousness to self and dangerousness to others; that is the two factors co- exist more often than expected on the basis of chance. (Menzies, Webster & Sepejak, 1985) “Men perpetrate familial massacres, killing spouse and children together; women do not. Men commonly hunt down and kill wives who have left them; women hardly ever behave similarly. (Dobash et al. 1992)

16. Spring/Summer 2010 Additional factors -Threats of harm or death (and woman’s perception of risk/sense of fear). -Recent substance misuse (perpetrator or victim) -Risk to children, child abuse & animal abuse -Level of psychological control -Past physical assault of intimate partner or other -Use of weapons -Breaking contact and non-contact orders -Your perception of risk

17. Spring/Summer 2010 Thank you for your time and attention

18. Spring/Summer 2010 Identifying Risk in Domestic Abuse: Practice Tayside Violence Against Women Training Consortium Spring 2011

19. Spring/Summer 2010 Fire drills Loos Mobile phones Group agreed contract Self care & time out Housekeeping

20. Spring/Summer 2010 Contents Putting the theory into practice: risk assessing a case of domestic abuse Exploring the dynamic nature of risk assessment Exploring the links between the SPECSSS+ factors and the CAADA DASH-RIC tool

21. Spring/Summer 2010

25. Putting theory into practice: the case study Everyone needs a copy of the woman’s statement Work through this as a group and decide which risks you would identify. After you have done this, try to complete a basic safety plan for Julia.

26. Spring/Summer 2010 Stage 1 – Risk Assessment As a group, read through the woman’s statement, and discuss the risks you identify. Note down all the risk factors you identify on flipchart paper. Additional questions to think about whilst you do so: What additional questions might you want to ask the woman, if she were here? Who else might you want to contact, and what other information would you ask them for?

27. Spring/Summer 2010 Stage 2 – Risk Review and Safety Planning Once you have reviewed the risk work together as a group to complete a safety plan for the woman. Everyone should contribute ideas to the safety plan for the woman, and you should draw on each other’s knowledge of local services/options.

28. Spring/Summer 2010 Time for a wee cup of tea!

29. Spring/Summer 2010 Step 3 Take the second part of the information. Review your risk assessment. Write down: how would your assessment change? How would this affect your safety plan?

30. Future related training you may be interested in: A Practitioner’s Guide to Domestic Abuse 19 th April, 3 rd May, 30 th May For a training calendar, please mail sarah.watts@dundeecity.gov.uk sarah.watts@dundeecity.gov.uk www.caada.org.uk

31. Spring/Summer 2010 Thank you for your time and attention