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ODARA

Autorisierte deutsche Übersetzung

Gerth, J., Rossegger, A., Urbaniok, F., Endrass, J. (2014): Das Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) – Validität und autorisierte deutsche Übersetzung eines Screening-Instruments für Risikobeurteilungen bei Intimpartnergewalt. Publiziert in: Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie. 82(11), 616-26.

Die Übersetzung vom Englischen ins Deutsche erfolgte durch oben genannte Autoren. Die deutsche Übersetzung wurde von einem Native Speaker ins Englische rückübersetzt, der blind für die englische Originalversion war. Die deutsche Übersetzung und die englische Rückübersetzung wurden den Autoren des ODARA sowie dem Verlag, in dem das Buch erschienen ist, zur Prüfung vorgelegt und von diesen freigegeben.

Assessment

  • Identifying the index assault

    To adhere most closely to the method used in the research that resulted in the ODARA, the index assault for any assessment should be the most recent incident known to the police in which the man engaged in violence against a female domestic partner. The index assault requires physical contact with the victim or a credible threat of death with a weapon in hand in her presence. A domestic partner is defined as a woman that the perpetrator is or was married to, is or was in a common-law relationship with, or lives or did live with for any length of time. Criminal charges do not have to be laid for a domestic incident to qualify as the index assault. In our research, though, we had to be confident on the basis of evidence in the police report that the man perpetrated at least one act of physical contact with the victim or made a credible threat of death with a weapon in hand in the presence of the victim. We excluded questionable incidents that research assistants did not agree on; often, an earlier incident that clearly met the eligibility criteria could be found. In practice, therefore, if the most recent incident does not clearly involve violence against a female partner, an earlier incident meeting the eligibility criteria can be used as the index assault. Assessors should count each police occurrence report as one incident. For a cluster of assaults reported at one time to the police, the most recent eligible assault that is separated from prior assaults by at least 24 hours is the index assault; multiple eligible assaults within 24 hours count as one index assault. This cluster rule also applies to identifying prior domestic and nondomestic incidents.

  • Defining recidivism

    During the research, only postindex incidents in which an act of violence occurred met our definition of domestic violence recidivism. In a small minority of cases, the criminal record indicated a charge of assault against a partner, but we did not have the police occurrence report to determine the specific acts of violence; these charges met the definition of domestic violence recidivism. The criteria we used to code postindex acts of violence were broadly based on the physical violence subscale of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS; Straus, 1979) or the Conflict Tactics Scales Revised (CTS2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996). We included any of the following acts as violence: held her down, threw something at her that could hurt, twisted her arm or hair, pushed or shoved her, grabbed her (includes pulled and dragged her), slapped her (includes struck her), inflicted other minor violence (e.g., shook her), punched her with fist or hit her with something that could hurt, choked her (includes grabbed her by neck or throat, put her in a headlock), slammed her against wall; "beat her up," burned or scalded her on purpose, kicked her, used a knife or gun on her (i.e., actual or attempted contact with the victim's body; includes discharging a gun while pointing it at the victim or threat of physical harm with weapon in hand), and inflicted other severe violence (e.g., picked her up and threw her, head-butted her, pushed her down the stairs, bit her). In addition, we included as violence any use of force (by any means) to coerce the victim into having sexual contact when she did not want to. The same criteria for violence are used to code prior domestic and nondomestic violence.

  • Gathering necessary information

    Sometimes little information is available about the most recent incident, and assessors should seek more information before identifying the index assault. The perpetrator's prior police record or criminal history is essential information, and anyone conducting an assessment for use in criminal justice or offender intervention purposes should postpone scoring the ODARA until this information is obtained. It is also advisable to interview the victim or obtain documentation from a victim interview, especially about her children. The absence of information is not normally a reason to select a different incident as the index assault, and it is always a reason to consider the feasibility of obtaining more documentation about the case.

  • Item scoring

    Some ODARA items are scored with reference to events occurring at the index assault. Others are scored on the basis of events occurring before the index assault. Information pertaining to events that occurred on a separate occasion after the index assault is never used to score the ODARA. Each ODARA item is scored 0 or 1, and the total score is the sum of the item scores. Thus, the range of possible scores on the ODARA is 0 to 13.

  • Missing items

    Items may be treated as unknown or missing when the available documentation indicates that the item might be present but the information is unclear or incomplete.

This assessment applies to Name / surrogate name / case ID:

After the assessment is completed, this Name / surrogate name / case ID will be irrevocably deleted.

1
Prior Domestic Incident

For the purposes of scoring the ODARA, a domestic incident is defined as one in which the man being assessed assaulted his current or previous female cohabiting partner and/or her children and the assault is recorded in a police occurrence report or criminal record.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • an act of violence (as defined above) carried out by the man being assessed
    • and an incident that occurred on a separate occasion before the index assault
    • and police involvement or a subsequent report made to the police.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required.

    At least one of the following must be present:

    • a victim who is a current or previous female domestic partner of the man being assessed
    • and/or a victim who is the child of the man's current or previous female domestic partner.

    Either of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. They do not both have to be present. If neither of these criteria is met, then score 0 for the item.

    Do not include

    • the index assault;
    • incidents involving only pets or property;
    • or incidents involving only strangers, acquaintances, friends, parents, siblings, other family members, or police officers.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator came to the attention of police for the first time on the night that the index assault occurred. During the investigation, the victim reported two other assaults, one occurring the same afternoon and one occurring the week before. Do these other assaults count as prior domestic incidents, or are they all part of the index assault?
    • Answer. The assault that took place the week before can be used to score Prior Domestic Incident, provided that the assault is documented in the police record as a discrete incident occurring on a specific date. The cluster rule applies here (see the section above on Identifying the Index Assault).

Response

2
Prior Nondomestic Incident

For the purposes of scoring the ODARA, a nondomestic incident is defined as one in which the man being assessed assaulted any person other than his current or previous female cohabiting partner or her children and the assault is recorded in a police occurrence report or criminal record.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • an act of violence (as defined above) carried out by the man being assessed
    • and an incident that occurred on a separate occasion before the index assault
    • and police involvement or subsequent report made to the police
    • and a victim who is any person other than a current or previous female domestic partner of the man being assessed or her children.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required.

    Do not include

    • the index assault,
    • incidents involving only pets or property,
    • or incidents involving only a current or previous female domestic partner of the man being assessed or her children.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator assaulted his mother, who lives in a basement suite. Does this incident count as domestic or nondomestic?
    • Answer. An assault on the perpetrator's mother, or any other member of his family of origin, counts as nondomestic for the purposes of scoring the ODARA.

Response

3
Prior Custodial Sentence of 30 Days or More

A custodial sentence includes only the final disposition handed down by the court for a criminal offense. It is not necessary for the man to have served the entire sentence to score 1 for this item.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present;

    • a sentence handed down before the index assault
    • and a sentence resulting in incarceration
    • and a sentence of 30 days or more
    • and actual admission to training school, jail, federal correctional facility, or provincial or state correctional facility.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required.

    The sentence need not have been served for a domestic incident; sentences for a nondomestic incident or any other criminal conviction should be included. Sentences that are served for any continuous or intermittent period should be included, as well as sentences that were not entirely (but at least partially) served in custody, as long as the total number of days in the disposition handed down by the court was at least 30.

    Do not include

    • the sentence handed down for the index assault,
    • time spent in a police holding cell,
    • or time spent in custody awaiting trial unless the sentence is stated as including time served (which may be a statutory requirement in some jurisdictions).

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator's criminal record shows a conditional or suspended sentence of 12 months. In essence, the sentence was to a custodial institution, and it was over 30 days. Can I use this sentence to score Prior Custodial Sentence?
    • Answer. No. The criterion of actual admission into custody must be met. Do not count sentences that are served entirely in the community.
    • Question. The perpetrator was held in custody for 6 months before sentencing and then received a sentence of "1 day plus time served". Can I use this sentence to score Prior Custodial Sentence?
    • Answer. Yes. If this disposition were specified as 1 day and 6 months or documented as "1 day and 6 months (time served)", then the total sentence is more than 30 days. It is the sentence that counts, not the number of days spent in custody after the sentence was handed down. If, however, the remand time is not specified in the sentence (e.g., the disposition is documented as "1 day"), then the criteria for Prior Custodial Sentence are not met.
    • Question. In my jurisdiction, a sentence to probation has an explicit custodial sentence attached to it that is invoked for a breach of probation. If I see that a perpetrator has been on probation, should I score this information under Prior Custodial Sentence?
    • Answer. If the underlying sentence was for at least 30 days and was not explicitly a suspended sentence and resulted in custody, then yes. If any of these three conditions is not met, then the criteria for Prior Custodial Sentence are not met.

Response

4
Failure on Prior Conditional Release

Conditional release includes administrative release, bail, conditional discharge, parole, probation, promise to appear, suspended sentence, or any other occasion on which the man was at liberty in the Community under supervision or other requirement ordered by a criminal court; it also includes no-contact, protection, or restraining orders imposed by a criminal or civil court.

Some examples of conditional release failures are committing a new criminal offense, failing to appear for court, failing to attend an appointment with a probation officer, drinking when prohibited, having firearms when prohibited, coming to a person's home or workplace when prohibited, and contacting a person when prohibited.

  • Scoring criteria

    At least one of the following must be present:

    • any known violation of the terms of conditional release, whether or not he was arrested or charged for it
    • and/or a violation occurring at the time of the index assault or on a separate occasion before the index assault
    • and/or a charge for a criminal offense committed while on a conditional release ordered by a criminal court.

    Any one of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. Not all of the criteria have to be present. If none of these criteria are met, then score 0 for the item.

    Do not include

    • conditional releases that he obeyed
    • or conditional release failures that occurred on a separate occasion after the index assault.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator's criminal record shows a conditional or suspended sentence of 12 months and a subsequent revocation of that sentence, resulting in some of that time (less than 30 days) served in a correctional institution. Should I score this information under Failure on Prior Conditional Release or Prior Custodial Sentence?
    • Answer. Both. He met the criteria for a known violation of the terms of conditional release and had a sentence of 30 days or more that resulted in actual admission to custody.
    • Question. The perpetrator had a condition to abstain from alcohol while on probation, but he lapsed and got drunk while watching a game on TV at a friend's house. Because he was remorseful, agreed not to go to that friend's house again, and continued participating in his substance abuse treatment group, the probation officer documented the alcohol use but did not pursue charges for a breach of probation. Does this count as a Failure on Prior Conditional Release?
    • Answer. Yes. The perpetrator met the criteria for a known violation of the terms of conditional release. Criminal charges or revocation of conditional release are not required.

Response

5
Threat to Harm or Kill at the Index Assault

For the purposes of scoring this item, a threat must clearly pertain to physical harm to a person. Normally this indication is in the form of a specific verbal threat to harm a person physically. In a criminal record, evidence of a threat meeting the criteria for this item would be found in a charge of threatening, criminal threatening, uttering a threat, or terrorizing. Evidence of a physical gesture that is commonly recognized as a threat to harm a person physically can also be used to score this item.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • a threat to harm any person physically
    • and a threat made during the index assault, whether or not carried out.

    These criteria are both required.

    At least one of the following must be present:

    • a threat made against any person, including police officers
    • and/or a criminal charge of threatening, uttering threats, or terrorizing.

    Either of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. They do not both have to be present. If neither of these criteria is met, then score 0 for the item.

    Do not include

    • threats of emotional harm, financial harm, legal action, or custody dispute;
    • threats against pets or property;
    • threats to harm or kill himself;
    • or threats made on a separate occasion from the index assault.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator saw the victim talking to another man at a party. Without saying anything, he glared at her in a way that she knew meant he was going to assault her. On their way home, he pulled the car off the road and committed the index assault. Can I use this information to score Threat to Harm or Kill at the Index Assault?
    • Answer. No. Covert acts, or acts of omission, that are not commonly recognized as a threat cannot be used to score this item, even though the victim may feel that harm is imminent. The same is true for other behavior intended to scare a person without an overt threat. Although we recognize that a victim may feel threatened by some actions by the perpetrator that cannot be classified as overt threats, in the ODARA development research, only acts that were clearly described as threats to harm a person physically were coded as threats. Similarly, in practice, there needs to be clear and objective evidence of a threat; a verbal threat is the clearest example.
    • Question. The perpetrator sexually assaulted the victim while holding a knife in his hand. She complied because she was afraid he would use the knife if she refused. Can I use this information to score Threat to Harm or Kill at the Index Assault?
    • Answer. No. An assault with a weapon is not sufficient evidence that the criteria for a threat were met.
    • Question. The perpetrator had sent the victim threatening letters and was previously charged with criminal harassment. He was stalking her near her workplace when the index assault occurred. Can I use this information to score Threat to Harm or Kill at the Index Assault?
    • Answer. No. Stalking and prior threats are not sufficient evidence that the criteria for a threat were met at the index assault.

Response

6
Confinement of the Partner at the Index Assault

For the purposes of scoring this item, confinement is defined as any act carried out to physically prevent the victim from leaving the scene of the incident. In most cases, confinement would be scored on the basis of evidence that the perpetrator kept the victim in a room with the exit barred. In a criminal record, evidence to score this item would be found in a charge of forcible confinement or kidnapping arising from the index assault, provided the victim is known to be the female domestic partner.

In some cases, other acts by the perpetrator that deprived the victim of the ability to leave the scene of the incident can be used to score this item. These less common examples of confinement include holding on to or pinning down the victim when she tried to escape, purposefully standing between the victim and the escape route when she tried to escape, removing or destroying the victim's clothing when she tried to escape by going outdoors, and forcibly removing keys to a vehicle or damaging a vehicle while she is trying to escape in it.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • confinement of the female partner who is the victim of the index assault
    • and an act by which the man being assessed physically prevented, or attempted to prevent, the victim from leaving the location
    • and confinement carried out during the index assault, whether or not the victim eventually left the scene.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required.

    Do not include

    • the perpetrator threatening harm to the victim if she leaves,
    • ripping out the telephone or cutting the telephone lines,
    • or committing acts of confinement on a separate occasion from the index assault.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator pinned the victim to the wall and punched her. She was not able to move or escape while this assault took place. Does that count as confinement?
    • Answer. No. Evidence of restraint in the course of an assault, such as holding the victim down to assault her, is not sufficient to conclude that an act of confinement has taken place. The primary evidence should be physical confinement in a locked room or other place from which the victim cannot escape. If escape is physically possible, a required element for this item is the victim's attempt to escape.
    • Question. The perpetrator was charged with criminal restraint arising from the index assault. Can I use this information to score Confinement of the Partner at the Index Assault?
    • Answer. Because the definition of criminal restraint varies across jurisdictions, more information is required. If the restraint was committed as an attempt to restrict the victim's liberty or physical ability to leave the location and the restraint was committed by use of force rather than by threat or deception, then yes. If either of these two conditions is not met, then the criteria for Confinement of the Partner at the Index Assault are not met.

Response

7
Victim Concern

This item captures the victim's prediction of future assaults against herself or her children. Any statement made by the victim that indicates concern, fear, worry, or certainty pertaining to a possible future domestic assault is considered an example of victim concern.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • a statement made by the female partner who is the victim of the index assault
    • and a statement made in the victim's first reports to the police, or to victim services if this information was not available to police, even if she subsequently expressed no concern
    • and a statement that indicates concern, fear, worry, or certainty pertaining to a possible future domestic assault.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required.

    At least one of the following must be present:

    • a statement pertaining to possible future assaults against the female partner who is the victim of the index assault
    • and/or a statement pertaining to possible future assaults against the children.

    Either of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. They do not both have to be present. If neither of these criteria is met, then score 0 for the item.

    Do not include

    • the victim's fear for safety during the index assault,
    • statements made by the victim on a separate occasion before the index assault,
    • or inferences about concern based on protective action taken by the victim.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The victim went to a women's shelter, and she went back to her home to gather her property only when accompanied by a shelter support worker for protection. Obviously she is afraid of the perpetrator. Can I use this information to score Victim Concern?
    • Answer. No. A verbal statement by the victim is required. In the research, this variable was coded on the basis of overt behavior, usually a statement made to police, and was not inferred from other behavior.
    • Question. The victim states that the perpetrator would certainly assault her again if he had the opportunity; however, she is moving to another city, so he will no longer be in contact with her. How should this response be scored?
    • Answer. Victim Concern should be scored 1 because the victim's statement indicates certainty that he will assault her again. This item is not scored on the basis of a conditional probability (e.g., "Would he assault you again if you stayed in the city ... or moved out of State ... or left the country?"), nor can we assume that moving to another city or taking other measures to limit the perpetrator's opportunity to recidivate will guarantee that he will not assault her again.

Response

8
More Than One Child

Add up the number of children the perpetrator has, plus any additional children the victim has. There must be more than one child in total to score 1 for this item.

  • Scoring criteria

    Include the following:

    • biological or adopted children of the man being assessed,
    • biological or adopted children of the female partner who is the victim of the index assault,
    • minor or adult children, and
    • children living with the victim or living elsewhere.

    Do not include

    • children who were unborn at the time of the index assault,
    • children who were deceased before the index assault,
    • or children of a former partner who are not biologically related to or adopted by the man being assessed or the victim.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator's ex-wife had children from a previous relationship. These children lived with the perpetrator during the marriage, and he was like a father to them. The children now visit the perpetrator and the index victim every other weekend. Can I use this information to score ‚More than one child’?
    • Answer. No. Only children born to or adopted by the perpetrator and/or the index victim count. This item concerns offspring that are part of the current relationship and not the perpetrator's parenting role.
    • Question. The perpetrator has one son and the index victim has one daughter, but they have no joint children. How should I score More Than One Child?
    • Answer. Score the item 1 because both these children count toward the total.

Response

9
Victim's Biological Child From a Previous Partner

To score 1 for this item, the victim of the index assault must have a biological child whose father is not the perpetrator. Only one child is needed to score 1 for this item.

  • Scoring criteria

    Include the following:

    • biological children of the female partner who is the victim of the index assault,
    • minor or adult children, and
    • children living with the victim or living elsewhere.

    Do not include

    • children who were adopted by the victim,
    • children who are not the victim's biological children, or
    • children who were deceased before the index assault.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The victim adopted a child at birth before her relationship with the perpetrator began. She feels just as much love and devotion to this child as if she were the biological mother. Can I use this information to score Victim's Biological Child From a Previous Partner?
    • Answer. No. In the ODARA development research, children who were known to be adopted were coded separately from biological children. It was biological children that predicted recidivism.
    • Question. The victim had a child with a previous partner, but the perpetrator has no contact with this child and does not play the role of a father with this child in any way. Does this child still count?
    • Answer. Yes. The criteria pertain to the living existence of the child, not the perpetrator's relationship with that child.
    • Question. The index assault was committed by the perpetrator against his ex-wife. She has a new partner and has a child from this new relationship. Can I count this child to score Victim's Biological Child From a Previous Partner?
    • Answer. No. In the ODARA development research, we coded children separately according to whether they were from the relationship between the perpetrator and victim, from a previous relationship, or from a subsequent relationship. It was the partner's children from a previous relationship that predicted recidivism.

Response

10
Violence Against Others

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • an act of violence (as defined above) carried out by the man being assessed
    • and an incident that occurred on a separate occasion before the index assault
    • and a victim who is any person other than a current or previous female domestic partner of the man being assessed or her children.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item. These criteria are all required.

    Police involvement is not required, and information used to score this item can come from sources other than criminal justice documentation. The required criteria for this item are a subset of the criteria for Prior Nondomestic Incident, so if Prior Nondomestic Incident is scored 1, then Violence Against Others is automatically scored 1.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator had a reputation for being a tough guy in his teens, and people talk about him being in fights, although there is no information about a specific event. Can I use this information to score Violence Against Others?
    • Answer. No. A specific incident is required. Reputations are too vague to score this item.
    • Question. The perpetrator has a police record for a violent assault, and a presentence report indicates that the victim was a dating partner. They had never lived together. Can I use this information to score Violence Against Others?
    • Answer. Yes. A domestic partner is a woman that the perpetrator lives or did live with for any length of time. A dating partner with whom the perpetrator did not cohabit does not meet the criteria for domestic partner, so she counts as a nondomestic victim or "other."

Response

11
Substance Abuse

To score 1 for this item, there must be more than one element of substance abuse present; alcohol use at the index assault is not sufficient by itself. The elements are listed from most common to least common according to the ODARA development research.

  • Scoring criteria

    At least two of the following must be present:

    • he consumed alcohol immediately before or during the index assault,
    • he used drugs immediately before or during the index assault,
    • he abused drugs and/or alcohol in the days or weeks before the index assault (e.g., alcohol intoxication, frequent alcohol use, use of street drugs, misuse of medication),
    • he noticeably increased his abuse of drugs and/or alcohol in the days or weeks before the index assault (without a return to normal consumption prior to the index assault),
    • he had been more angry or violent when using drugs and/or alcohol before the index assault,
    • he consumed alcohol before or during a criminal offense predating the index assault,
    • his alcohol use before the index assault but since age 18 resulted in some problems or interference in his life, and
    • his drug use before the index assault but since age 18 resulted in some problems or interference in his life.

    Any two of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. Not all of the criteria have to be present. If only one of these criteria is met, then score 0 for the item.

    For the purposes of scoring this item, evidence for an alcohol or drug use problem or interference in the perpetrator's life can come from alcohol or drug use related to law violations resulting in a charge or revocation of conditional release; withdrawal symptoms or inability to decrease use; or financial, job, relationship, legal, or health problems or other problems attributable to alcohol or drug use. Drugs that count for this item are illicit or street drugs or misused prescription medications.

    Do not include medications taken as prescribed.

    Frequently Asked Question

    • Question. The perpetrator did not use alcohol or drugs for several months before the index incident and is not known for becoming more angry or violent when using alcohol. In the past, however, he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. How should I score Substance Abuse?
    • Answer. This item should be scored 1. If the perpetrator has been charged with an alcohol-related criminal offense before the index incident, then he consumed alcohol before or during a prior criminal offense and his alcohol use resulted in problems (i.e., charge for a law violation), thus satisfying two of the elements.

Response

12
Assault on Victim When Pregnant

Information for scoring this item can come from sources other than criminal justice documentation, and the incident does not need to be known to the police.

  • Scoring criteria

    All of the following must be present:

    • an act of violence (as defined above) carried out by the man being assessed
    • and an incident against the female partner who is the victim of the index assault
    • and the victim's pregnancy at the time of the assault.

    If any one of these criteria is absent, then score 0 for the item, even if every other criterion is present. These criteria are all required. The index assault can count for this item.

    Do not include

    • incidents involving only pets or property
    • or incidents that occurred when the victim was not pregnant.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Question. The perpetrator was convicted of an assault against a previous domestic partner who is not the index victim. The ex-partner was 5 months pregnant. Can I use this information to score Assault on Victim When Pregnant?
    • Answer. No. In the ODARA development research, this question was coded with respect to the index victim only.
    • Question. How pregnant does the victim have to be to score this item 1?
    • Answer. In the ODARA development research, pregnancy was treated as a dichotomous variable (i.e., pregnant vs. not pregnant). Pregnancy of any duration at the time of the assault counts.

Response

13
Barriers to Victim Support

This item covers the victim's circumstances at the time of the index assault and should be scored on the basis of information documented as close to the time of the index assault as possible. The elements are listed from most common to least common according to the ODARA development research.

  • Scoring criteria

    At least one of the following must be present:

    • the victim of the index assault has one or more children age 18 or under who live with her and for whom she provides care
    • and/or she has no telephone (i.e., no cell phone and no landline telephone in the home)
    • and/or she has no transportation (i.e., no access to a vehicle and no public transportation in the vicinity of her home and no money for a taxi)
    • and/or she is geographically isolated (i.e., living in a rural area with nobody living close by)
    • and/or she consumed alcohol or drugs just before or during the index incident or has a history of alcohol or drug abuse (e.g., alcohol intoxication, frequent alcohol use, use of street drugs, abuse of medication).

    Any one of these criteria must be present to score 1 for the item. Not all the criteria have to be present. If none of these criteria are met, then score 0 for the item.

    Frequently Asked Question

    • Question. None of the suggested barriers to support apply to the victim, but she is of an ethnic minority in which a woman traditionally is subservient to her husband; in addition, there are no services for assaulted women in her minority language. Can I use this information to score Barriers to Victim Support?
    • Answer. No. In the ODARA development research, we recorded immigration issues and language barriers as circumstances that might increase the victim's vulnerability; however, we obtained insufficient numbers on these variables to establish an association with recidivism.

Response

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