Measuring intimate partner violence risk: A national survey of Canadian police officers

Abstract

This study examined the role of police in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) and the type of strategies they apply across Canada based on a national survey of officers. The focus was on an examination of the types of structured tools Canadian police officers report using in their risk assessment strategies. The results suggest that Canadian police officers are reporting frequent engagement in risk assessments across jurisdictions. The survey findings indicate variability across provinces in the types of risk assessment tools police officers are using. Implications for future research include exploring specific provincial and territorial police risk assessment processes and the challenges in engaging in risk assessments.

Predictive Properties of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) in a Northern Canadian Prairie Sample

“…In a Canadian survey, Saxton et al (2020) found that more than three quarters of the 77 police officers surveyed reported using structured IPV risk assessment measures in their response to IPV calls routinely or frequently for risk assessment (i.e., evaluating potential for further harm to the survivor) or risk management (i.e., strategies to reduce risk, such as monitoring, supervision, or referral to services). Furthermore, nearly two thirds of police officers reported frequently or routinely using risk measures for safety planning (e.g., change in residence and flagging for high-priority response).…”

“…Relatedly, Spivak et al (2020) recommended the Victoria Police Screening Assessment for Family Violence Risk (VP-SAFvR) in Australia be used as a screen for family violence by frontline officers and supplemented with a more comprehensive assessment measure where indicated to inform case prioritization and IPV risk management. In all, the use of multiple measures (per the principles of risk and need) by frontline officers in their response to IPV incidents could be viable, particularly given that the Saxton et al (2020) survey found that about one third of police officers completing the survey reported using more than one measure.…”

Offenders on judicial orders: Implications for evidence-based risk management in policing

“…Formal risk assessments are needed to make many important decisions, including sentencing, case management, and rehabilitation of offenders. Although many risk tools have been heavily researched in correctional and forensic psychology, this type of research is much more limited in law enforcement settings (Saxton et al, 2020). The role of policing has expanded over the years, and one of the major tasks undertaken is the supervision and management of offenders in the community.…”

A field study on the police use of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA).

“…It is notable that some of these tools were developed for mental health professionals, such as psychologists, and other tools have limited validation studies to support their predictive discrimination. One of the more widely used tools is the ODARA (see Bourgon et al, 2018;Saxton et al, 2020), which has been independently validated, beyond its original Canadian development study (Hilton et al, 2004), within Canada (e.g., Jung & Buro, 2017, area under the curve [AUC] = .70) and This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

“…It is notable that some of these tools were developed for mental health professionals, such as psychologists, and other tools have limited validation studies to support their predictive discrimination. One of the more widely used tools is the ODARA (see Bourgon et al, 2018; Saxton et al, 2020), which has been independently validated, beyond its original Canadian development study (Hilton et al, 2004), within Canada (e.g., Jung & Buro, 2017, area under the curve [AUC] = .70) and also, abroad (e.g., Switzerland, Gerth et al, 2014, AUC = .73; Australia, Lauria et al, 2017, AUC = .68; Austria, Rettenberger & Eher, 2013, AUC = .71). Meta-analytic studies support the ODARA’s predictive accuracy over other risk tools intended to assess for IPV recidivism risk (e.g., Messing & Thaller, 2013; van der Put et al, 2019).…”