Advanced Domestic Violence Risk Assessment
This training is aimed at practitioners who have a sound theoretical grounding in the dynamics of power and control within intimate partner violence and wish to develop their analytical skills around assessing risk in this area.
The course will cover:
- What risks are in relation to domestic violence and why we assess them
- The impact of DV on victims
- Theory and methodology of assessment tools
- Static and dynamic indicators
- Effective interview styles and techniques for challenging minimisation, denial and blame
- Recommendations for risk management
DVIP’s training is delivered by highly skilled and experienced practitioners, using a range of interactive exercises. This course will incorporate plenty of opportunities for practicing risk assessment skills including client interview techniques. The training will utilise the most up to date research and information concerning the main indicators of risk.
Following this training, delegates should be able to:
- Make an analysis of risk and safety concerns in cases of domestic violence;
- Interview clients effectively in order to assess their risk;
- Devise risk management strategies, including consideration for safe child contact and referrals to appropriate interventions.
Bespoke training packages for your organisation
We offer a range of training programmes for professionals who work with clients affected by domestic violence.
Our programmes include:
- Risk assessment and safety planning
- Providing integrated domestic violence intervention services
- Providing integrated women’s support services
- Working with children exposed to domestic violence
- Working with Arabic-speaking communities on issues of domestic violence, including cultural and religious considerations.
- Supporting families that are experiencing violence and abuse from young people.
- Training for DVPP providers
Our knowledgeable trainers come from a range of backgrounds. These include psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, probation and child protection services. They have a detailed understanding of DVIP’s intervention model in practice, and are experienced in working with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
We can design specific training courses for your organisation, and we can work with your team as advisors to support the development of your organisations domestic violence practice. If you’d like to know more, please contact us.
How We Work
The combined group and individual programmes include elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodrama, Psychotherapy, Social Learning Theory, Solution Focussed Therapy and Relationship Skills Teaching. The programmes are interactive and responsive to individual needs.
Support for Mothers
Parenting during and following domestic violence is extremely difficult. Whether a woman has left her partner, or is still in an abusive relationship, her parenting will almost certainly be affected.
A mother’s authority as a parent may be eroded by her abusive partner, leaving her feeling powerless and lacking confidence in her parenting. She may experience a huge amount of guilt and may hold herself responsible for the effects of domestic violence on her child.
The developing attachment relationship between a mother and her child may be damaged by attacks on the child’s primary source of safety. A mother’s ability to attend to her child may be compromised by the attention she must instead focus on her partner. She may appear emotionally unavailable to her child and be unable to contain her child’s fears and anxieties.
Long after the violence has ended, both mother and child may struggle to cope with the enduring effects of trauma in their relationship. A mother may struggle to set and adhere to clear boundaries for her children as she may equate control with violence and abuse. Alternatively she may replicate the harsh and controlling parenting behaviours used by her partner.
Support for Fathers
Observation and clinical experience suggest that perpetrators of domestic violence are often more controlling and authoritarian, less consistent, and more likely to manipulate the children and undermine the mothers parenting than non violent fathers.
Bancroft and Silverman (2002) draw on their clinical experience and suggest a number of continued risks to children from contact with perpetrators:
- Risk of continued exposure to authoritarian or neglectful parenting
- Risk of continued undermining of mothers parenting and the mother child relationship
- Risk of exposure to new threats or violence, psychological abuse, or direct victimization by the perpetrator
- Risk of learning beliefs and attitudes that support violence and abuse
- Risk of being abducted or used as a tool
- Risk of exposure to violence in the perpetrators subsequent relationships
Most perpetrator programs historically have not included significant content on parenting however recent attention has focused on how the parenting of both perpetrators and victims/survivors may be better assessed and improved through education and support.