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Category: Project

Description: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors that includes emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, sexual coercion and assault, and other forms of physical violence. Without intervention, IPV tends to escalate in frequency and severity over time and, in extreme cases, intimate partner violence can lead to homicide. The need to determine and treat the most serious cases of IPV has brought about a proliferation of statistical assessments and standardized decision-making tools. One such tool is the ODARA, which has performed very well in tests of predictive validity in Ontario, Canada, and may be appropriate for implementation in the U.S. criminal justice system. However, no tests of the predictive validity of the ODARA have been conducted in the U.S.The current research will provide an empirical base for implementation of the ODARA (or a modified version of the ODARA) in the U.S. criminal justice context as well as recommendations for implementation within police departments and pretrial services. The specific aims of the study are as follows: (1) To examine the predictive validity (at 1, 3, and 5 year follow-up) of the ODARA as used by police in a single county (Saco) and in 2 additional counties in the state of Maine, (2) To examine the predictive validity (at 1, 3, and 5 year follow-up) of the ODARA as used by pretrial services in 2 Counties (Denver, CO and Travis County, TX). The inclusion of multiple sites (with geographic and demographic diversity) and larger sample sizes will also assist with providing justification for generalization.