The Association Between Protective Actions and Homicide Risk: Findings From the Oklahoma Lethality Assessment Study

• Published in: Violence and victims 2014-01, Vol.29 (4), p.543-563
• Main Authors: Messing, Jill Theresa, Campbell, Jacquelyn C., Brown, Sheryll, Patchell, Beverly, Androff, David K., Wilson, Janet Sullivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral Sciences; Children & youth; Counseling; Crime Victims - psychology; Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data; Domestic violence; Female; Homicide - psychology; Homicide - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Marriage and Family Counselling; Middle Aged; Murders & murder attempts; Oklahoma; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Police; Policy, Social Justice, and Human Rights; Psychology; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Social and Personality Psychology; Social Work; Spouse Abuse - psychology; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Studies; Women; Women's Health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0886-6708; 1945-7073
• DOI: 10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-13-00013

This study focuses on the relationship between women's risk of homicide as measured by the Danger Assessment and 13 protective actions. Participants (N = 432) experienced an incident of police involved intimate partner violence (IPV) and subsequently completed a structured telephone interview. Most women in this sample experienced severe violence and were classified as being at high risk for homicide. Participants engaged in an average of 3.81 (SD = 2.73) protective actions. With the exception of the use of formal domestic violence services, women in the high-risk category were significantly more likely than women in the lower risk category to have used each of the protective actions examined. Implications for research and practice are discussed.