The Development of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER): A Tool for Criminal Justice Professionals
Appendix C - B-SAFER Victim Interview
Spousal Assault
- 1. Serious Physical/Sexual Violence:
- Has your partner ever assaulted you before? Please describe?
- Has your partner been violent in previous relationships? Please describe?
- Has your partner been charged or convicted of past spousal assaults?
- Has your partner sexually assaulted you or any other intimate partner in the past? Please describe?
- Is your partner a jealous or possessive person?
- Has your partner ever assaulted you or another partner because of jealousy?
- 2. Serious Violent Threats, Ideation, or Intent:
- Has your partner ever used or threatened to use a weapon against you or any other intimate partner? [Examples of a weapon are a gun, knife, or object used as a club]. Please describe.
- Has your partner ever threatened to hurt or kill you? If so, did you believe those threats? Please explain.
- Has your partner ever threatened to hurt or kill a previous intimate partner? If so, do you think those threats were believable? Please explain.
- 3. Escalation of Physical/Sexual Violence or Threats/Ideation/Intent:
- Has your partner's violence become more frequent within the past year?
- Has your partner's threatening become more frequent within the past year?
- Has your partner's violence become more serious/severe within the past year?
- Has your partner's threatening become more serious/severe within the past year?
- 4. Violations of Civil or Criminal Court Orders:
- Has your partner ever violated a "no contact" provision of a court order related to an intimate relationship (e.g., bail, probation, restraining order, or peace bond)?
- 5. Negative Attitudes About Spousal Assault:
- Does your partner deny some or all of his assaults against you and/or other intimate partners?
- Does your partner take responsibility for his violence, or does he/she blame others?
- Does your partner downplay the significance of his/her violence (e.g., "Nobody was physically injured")?
- Does your partner believe that he/she has the right to control you?
- Does your partner believe that you are his/her property?
- Does your partner appear to have hateful attitudes toward women/men?
- Does your partner believe that violence is a good way to resolve conflict?
- Do your partner's friends and/or family support any of his attitudes condoning violence?
- Does your partner use his/her religion or culture to support his attitudes condoning violence?
Psychosocial Adjustment
- 6. Other Serious Criminality:
- Has your partner been physically or sexually violent against family members other than intimate partners (e.g., parents, siblings, children)? If so, who, when, and where?
- Has your partner been physically or sexually violent against people other than intimate partners or family members (e.g., friends, acquaintances, strangers)? If so, who, when, and where?
- Has your partner ever been in trouble with the law? For example, has he (she) been arrested or convicted of property offenses, public disorder, or alcohol and drug offenses? Please explain:
- Has your partner ever violated conditions of parole, probation or bail? Please explain:
- 7. Relationship Problems:
- How have you and your partner been getting along during the past year?
- Have there been any changes or conflict in your relationship during the past year?
- Are you currently separated or divorced from your partner? If so, how recently?
- 8. Employment and/or Financial Problems:
- Is your partner currently employed?
- Has your partner had any stable work in the past year?
- In the past year have there been any changes/instability in your partner's employment?
- 9. Substance Abuse:
- Has your partner used drugs or alcohol in the past year? If so, which substances has he/she used?
- Has the use of drugs or alcohol caused significant health problems for your partner during the past year?
- Has the use of drugs or alcohol caused problems in your partner's social functioning (i.e., disruptions in relationships, employment problems, legal difficulties)?
- Does you partner become violent or verbally abusive when he/she has been using drugs or alcohol? If so, is your partner also violent/abusive when not consuming substances?
- 10. Mental Disorder:
- Has your partner ever threatened or attempted suicide? If so, please describe. How recent were these threats/attempts?
- Has your partner ever been treated for depression? If so, please describe.
- In the past year has your partner expressed extreme sadness, hopelessness or despair?
- Has your partner ever threatened or attempted to kill someone else? If so, when, and what were the nature of these threats/attempts?
- In the past year has your partner had persistent and intrusive thoughts of killing someone? Has he/she made plans to do this?
- Has your partner ever been treated for mental health problems? If so, please describe.
- Has your partner ever taken any medications for mental health problems? If so, please describe.
- Has your partner ever been hospitalized for mental health problems? If so, please describe.
- Within the past year has your partner seemed suspicious or paranoid about family, friends, or others?
- Within the past year has your partner experienced hallucinations (e.g., hearing and seeing things) when not using drugs or alcohol?
- Within the past year has your partner's thinking appeared to be strange or bizarre?
- Within the past year has your partner seemed more energetic, euphoric, or irritable than usual?
- Has your partner ever been described as self-centered, with little regard for the feelings and welfare of others?
- Does your partner take responsibility for his/her behaviour, or does he tend to blame others for problems?
- Is your partner deceitful (e.g., tells lies), manipulative, or untrustworthy?
- Does your partner have difficulty controlling or managing anger?
- Has your partner ever expressed an intense fear of being alone?
- Do your partner's emotions appear to be unpredictable or fluctuating?
- Does your partner seem to easily change from being affectionate and loving to being angry and threatening?
- Does your partner obsess and ruminate about his/her problems?
Other Questions and Considerations:
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