Family Violence Risk on Entry to the Family Courts of Australia: Profiles and Predictive Validity of the DOORS Triage...

The Family DOORS Triage Tool is a self-report measure of family violence victimization and perpetration risk, completed by parties on filing or responding to a parenting matter in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Divisions 1 and 2), collectively "the Courts." The tool and associated risk rubric inform subsequent risk response processes within the Courts. We sought to test the tool's utility and fitness-for-purpose within a new family violence response initiative by the Courts. Data from 4,175 adults, collected using the Family DOORS Triage Tool and Court intake records, were used to examine (a) self-reported family violence risk profiles and risk factor clustering; (b) the tool's acceptability across key sub-groups (using time to completion as a measure of engagement); and (c) the tool's fitness-for-purpose against the results of subsequent file review by designated court officers. Concern for one's own safety was the most frequently reported risk. Allocation to a high-risk category was associated with gender (higher for women), applicant status (higher for respondents), culturally and linguistically diverse background status, more recent separation, recent communication with the other party, and having younger children. Survey completion was fastest for those who reported high risk or identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Risk category was a strong predictor of subsequent referral to the high-risk case management pathway following assessment and file review. Parties who initially self-reported high risk but were reclassified to low/medium risk on file review were more likely to be men, to report low fear for their own safety, and to be in recent communication with their former partner. The Family DOORS Triage Tool coupled with the Court's risk rubric demonstrates high utility and acceptability to vulnerable sub-populations. The tool may provide a means to detect and respond rapidly and accurately to clusters of risk early in engagement with family court systems.