ADVICE

ASSESSING DANGEROUSNESS

The following is a list of pre-incident indicators or red flags that should be incorporated into an assessment. The factors are listed here to assist you in obtaining information about the employee and the severity of the abuse. This information may also be extremely helpful to law enforcement personnel, if they become involved and if charges are laid. In any event, this information will yield tremendous insight into the nature and level of violence of this particular situation.

Status of relationship: The first question that should be asked, and the factor that will yield one of the most important indicators of escalation of violence, is “Have you told the abuser that you intend to leave this relationship or have you already left?” It is well known that in most domestic violence homicides the victim had recently communicated to the perpetrator that the relationship was at an end, or had left the relationship. Thus, if the answer to this question is “yes,” you will know that the victim will be entering a potentially very dangerous situation. It is imperative in this situation that you work with the victim to devise a safety plan for home and for work and look for ways to adjust the victim’s work schedule and/or workload for greater safety. During this time, you will most likely see a pattern of behavior generally referred to as “stalking.” When the abuser no longer has immediate access to the victim (that is, they are no longer living together) the abuser tends to act out controlling behavior in public rather than in private. This behavior manifests itself in the form of phone harassment, violations of orders of protection, appearing at the victim’s workplace, and so on.
The abuser’s reaction: How did the abuser handle the break up? Did the abuser try to prevent the victim from leaving the home? Rip out the telephone? Follow the victim to a friend’s house? Become obsessed with finding the victim? Experts characterize this reaction as “interfering with the victim’s ’help-seeking behavior.’” Violence is known to escalate during this period because the perpetrator fears losing control over the victim and will generally increase the level of violence to increase the victim’s fear.

The next group of indicators, if present, makes it more likely that an incident of physical violence may occur. Although every case is different, it tends to be true that the more indicators present, the greater the danger. All these indicators may help assess how far along on the path to violence the abuser has traveled.

Order of protection: Ask if the victim has applied for an order of protection (or restraining order) in the present situation, or has ever applied for one in the past. If the victim answers “yes” to either question, the situation has probably escalated a notch.

The next vital question is how the abuser reacted to the order. If the order has been violated, you can assume that the criminal justice system will not be a deterrent.

Abusers who resist arrest: If the abuser has ever been arrested for a domestic violence offense or any other criminal offense, there is a chance that the person may have fought with the police officers or attempted to refuse being arrested. If this is the case, then again you can draw an inference that the criminal justice system may not be a deterrent for this individual.
Using alcohol or drugs: There is a great misconception that abusers physically or mentally abuse others because they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is simply incorrect. There are abusers who have never used drugs or alcohol, and there are alcoholics or drug addicts who have never abused their partners. The only link between substance abuse and domestic violence seems to be that domestic violence may be exacerbated by a user’s recently increased intake of drugs or alcohol.
Fear: We often forget to ask the victim some very obvious questions. Do not forget to ask the simplest of questions:
“Are you afraid of the abuser?”
“Have you ever gone to a domestic violence shelter?”
“Has the abuser ever physically abused you to the point that you had to seek medical attention?” (physical violence as a pre-incident indicator is discussed below)

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then the level of potential future violence is escalated.

Guns: It is important to know whether the abuser has a gun. Keep in mind that the recent acquisition of a gun can be a much more dangerous factor than the keeping of a gun in the house for 20 years. Recent acquisition suggests that it is intended for some kind of future violent act.
Suicide: Obviously, thoughts of suicide, severe depression, and other mental illnesses can contribute to an abuser acting out violently. Many times, abusers who have been instructed by their doctors to take certain medication decide to stop taking it. This can result in dangerous consequences for the victim. Additionally, many abusers will express a desire to commit suicide. If these factors are present, the important information to ascertain is, “What medication is the abuser taking?” “For what illness?” If statements regarding suicide have been made, inquire how specific the abuser was in articulating a suicide plan. Did the plan include murdering the victim too? Did the plan include harming the children? The more specific the plan, the more dangerous the situation.
Children: Committing violence in front of the children generally escalates the potential for serious violence against the mother. If the abuser becomes violent irrespective of audience, it often signals a spiraling out of control and the violence will soon escalate. Also, teenagers often try to intervene to stop the abuse and become injured in the process. The question that must be posed is “Is the violence in front of the children?”
Symbolic violence: Abusers will often destroy property that is very special to the victim. It may be an award received at work or favorite photographs. Another similar tactic is sending the victim dead roses. The presence of this indicator suggests the destruction that the abuser wishes upon the victim.
Threats: If the abuser has been threatening the victim, it is imperative to evaluate those threats. How does the abuser communicate those threats? How specific are those threats? Even a love note, flowers, or a card can be construed as a threat if the victim has terminated the relationship.
Trying to maintain access: When a victim terminates the relationship and moves out of the shared residence, the abuser loses access and may begin stalking. The abuser is now trying to exert power and control over the victim, and in the process the personal risk of being arrested for this behavior is escalating. If the abuser physically assaults, follows, or displays threatening behavior toward the victim in public places, the violence to the victim may escalate quickly.
Abuser experiencing a downward turn in life: What is going on in rest of the abuser’s personal and professional life? Is the abuser employed? Recently demoted or fired? Has the abuser experienced any personal losses such as death of a loved one, or recently become divorced ? If either personal or professional life has taken a turn for the worse, the abuser may be spiraling downward quickly and could decide to take the victim down too.
Assessing past physical violence: It is important to determine whether or not there has been past physical violence. All physical violence should be documented and noted, including what the victim may characterize as only a “push” or “shove.” Some victims may not characterize a push or shove as physical violence, so it is imperative to probe if the victim replies that there has been no physical violence.

At the other extreme, if the abuser has ever put hands around the victim’s neck and attempted strangulation, you should consider it a very high indicator of future violence.

Past relationship history: More often than not, if the abuser had a past relationship, there was abuse in that relationship. In many situations, the victim will be aware of how that past relationship ended, and whether or not that individual had to seek protective or restraining orders against the abuser to end the relationship. Be sure to note the history of the abuse.