Expert Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment on Fathers who are Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

The safety of children who experience domestic abuse within their families requires specific evidence based, thoroughly conducted, risk assessment. However, the risk assessments I have read within reports made to the Family Courts have primarily been from the non abusive partner’s perspective. They have assessed the victims’ risk of experiencing harm, rather than including a specific, evidence based, risk assessment with the abusive parent regarding their risk of perpetrating harm. These reports have mostly contained risk opinions based on professional or clinical judgement without a specific, evidence based risk assessment of the abusive parent. Social service reports appear to look at the parents’ relationship relating to the child rather than in terms of domestic abuse occurring within the family. Neither are they ‘configured to hold abusers accountable.’ (Humphries and Stanley, 2006: 180). This can be dangerous when attempting to establish the precise nature of risk of harm in terms of further domestic abuse, usually to the mother and children. The consequences of unsafe contact on children, and on their mothers can be tragic (Women’s Aid, 2016).