Risk Assessment Instruments, Interpersonal Violence

Victim-Administered Instruments

Demographic variables appear to be significant indicators of future victimization among women, and most [Page 606]assessment protocols include evaluation of known risk factors such as income and/or socioeconomic statues, minority and relationship status, and age. Other instruments focus on frequency and severity of discrete violent or high-risk behaviors. The CTS2 reliably discriminates violent from nonviolent relationships by measuring the extent to which partners engage in physical and psychological disagreements with one another. An alternative scale used to measure mental impact of abuse is the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory. This self-report survey indicates frequency of emotionally distressing events as recalled by women. A third scale, the Index of Spouse Abuse, also looks at the severity of emotional and psychological abuse perpetrated by one's spouse. The Danger Assessment, originally developed by Campbell in 1986 and revised in 2004, uses victim information to predict future domestic violence rather than frequency and severity of violent or high-risk behaviors. This measure assesses severity of victimization by asking women to indicate on a calendar when battering occurred and how severe the altercation was. In addition, women are asked 20 dichotomous questions regarding possible risk factors associated with intimate partner violence. These items are scored using a weighted scoring system. This measure has been utilized in a variety of settings including domestic violence shelters and health care settings and has shown both high internal consistency and reliability.

Perpetrator-Administered Instruments

A variety of measures primarily administered to males have been developed to assess predisposition to abusive behavior. Perpetrator surveys range from the examination of general criminality and aggression to perpetration or recidivism specific to partner abuse. The Partner Abuse Prognostic Scale (PAPS) and the Propensity for Abusiveness Scale (PAS) both gather information from adult males to predict their risk of battering. The PAPS examines prognostic indicators for abuse recidivism, while the PAS profiles potential perpetrators by assessing variables such as attachment style, emotional and abusive history, and self-concept stability. Similarly, the Spousal Assault Risk Appraisal Guide screens for risk factors associated with family violence by conducting a clinical checklist with those suspected of or being treated for domestic assault. This measure explores 20 risk factors linked with spousal abuse recidivism. Kerry's Femicide Scale is used to identify factors that may make it more likely for a man to kill his intimate partner. These factors go beyond physical and emotional aspects of abuse by investigating the way in which men from both community and prison populations regard women.

Several scales exist that assess attitudes toward women that may be associated with higher risk for interpersonal violence. These scales are based on a burgeoning literature examining individual differences associated with increased abuse perpetration or risk. The Hostility Toward Women Scale consists of 30 true-false statements designed to uncover men's aggression toward women. The Inventory of Beliefs About Wife Beating completed by both males and females assesses attitudes toward spousal abuse. These measures are used to further the understanding of why such abuse occurs and how men and women differ in their views on interpersonal violence.

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