Risk scores and reliability of the SARA, SARA-V3, B-SAFER, and ODARA among Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) cases referred for threat assessment

ABSTRACT

Threat assessment services help police by identifying risk and recommending ways to mitigate risk for cases perceived to have a high potential for intimate partner violence (IPV). However, research has yet to show that cases referred for threat assessment score higher on IPV risk tools than routine policing samples, which would show whether referrals are appropriate. Furthermore, it is unknown whether these tools can be scored reliably from documents gathered by threat assessors without contacting perpetrators or victims. We scored the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA) and its revision (SARA-V3), Brief Spousal Assault Risk Evaluation Form (B-SAFER), and Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) from threat assessment files of 238 men referred for IPV offenses. Cases scored higher than previously reported routine policing samples. Inter-rater reliability coefficients for total scores and most subscales were ≥.70. Findings support appropriateness of referrals and capacity to reliably score IPV risk tools.

KEYWORDS:

• Intimate partner violence
• IPV
• threat assessment
• SARA
• B-SAFER
• ODARA

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Integrated Threat and Risk Assessment Centre (ITRAC), and Sean Bois, Jessica Brandon, and Ethan Davidge for their assistance in the data collection. We also wish to express our appreciation to the following research assistants: Renee Bencic, Martina Faitakis, Sacha Maimone, Adam Morrill, Alicia LaPierre, Lynden Perrault, Carissa Toop, and Farron Wielinga. Della Saunders provided helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.

Disclosure statement

Dr. Hilton is an author of the ODARA and declares a financial interest in a publication cited in this article. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the other authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Notes on contributors

N. Zoe Hilton

N. Zoe Hilton, Ph.D., is senior research scientist at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and a registered psychologist. She is also Adjunct Scientist at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association. She earned degrees from the University of Southampton, University of Cambridge, and University of Toronto. She has published primarily on interpersonal violence, risk assessment and risk communication. She was the lead of the research team that developed the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) and oversees the ODARA 101 online training program.

Anna T. Pham

Anna T. Pham, M.A., is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University working under the supervision of Dr. Kevin Nunes. She earned degrees from MacEwan University and Carleton University. The main focus of her research is on the assessment and prediction of sexual and non-sexual violence recidivism, with a particular interest in intimate partner violence recidivism. Other research interests include the conceptualization and measurement of cognitions thought to be relevant for sexual aggression, and the identification of factors that may lead to sexual interest in children.

Sandy Jung

Sandy Jung, Ph.D, is a professor in the Department of Psychology at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. She maintains an active research program in her Psychology Crime Lab (PCL@M) that focuses on the prevention of sexual assault, child sexual exploitation, and intimate partner violence and is funded by both internal and major external grants. Her publications in the field of forensic psychology are often co-authored with her students and several of her collaborators in law enforcement, forensic mental health, and other academic institutions in Canada, U.S., and other parts of the world. She is the Chair of the Criminal Justice Psychology Section in the Canadian Psychological Association, and an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta.

Kevin Nunes

Kevin Nunes, Ph.D., is a professor and director of the Aggressive Cognitions and Behaviour Research Lab in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University. The main focus of his research is on the conceptualization and measurement of cognitions (e.g., attitudes, etc.) thought to be relevant to sexual and nonsexual violent behavior, and the role these cognitions may play in violent behavior. His main goal is to contribute to scientific knowledge about the causes of violence, which is the foundation of effective and efficient assessment and intervention aimed at managing and reducing violence.

Liam Ennis

Liam Ennis, Ph.D. is the founder of the Forensic Behavioural Science Group, a private consulting practice in Edmonton, Alberta, and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. A registered psychologist with 20 years of experience in the field of violence risk assessment and management, he previously served as the resident psychologist for Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, assigned to the Integrated Threat and Risk Assessment Centre (ITRAC) where he provided risk management training and consultation to federal and provincial law enforcement and child protective services regarding intimate partner violence, stalking, and other forms of targeted violence.