Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Research to Real-World Practice: The Devil Is in the Implementation

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Criminology

Background:

• Risk assessment is vital for domestic violence safety.
• Existing research often lacks real-world application data for risk assessment tools.
• Understanding practical challenges is key to improving domestic violence interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine current domestic violence risk assessment practices in Canada.
• To identify challenges and promising practices in applying risk assessment tools in diverse professional settings.
• To explore the practical implications of risk assessment strategies in real-world domestic violence situations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• Survey distributed to professionals across diverse sectors in Canada.
• Thematic analysis of 255 open-text responses.

Main Results:

• Identified challenges in domestic violence risk assessment at systemic, organizational, and individual levels.
• Explored promising practices for risk assessment tool implementation.
• Highlighted practical implications and barriers to effective risk assessment strategies.

Conclusions:

• Real-world application of domestic violence risk assessment tools faces multifaceted challenges.
• Addressing systemic, organizational, and individual factors is essential for effective risk assessment.
• Further research into practical implementation can enhance safety in domestic violence situations.