The Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Vulnerable Populations (CDHPIVP) released its second in a series of learning briefs being produced as part of their five-year initiative. The learning brief is on risk assessment, risk management and safety planning in domestic violence cases. The brief provides an overview of the operationalization of risk, the purpose in assessing risk, and the nature and type of existing risk assessment tools currently in use. The brief also highlights best practices for conducting risk assessment as well as the predictive ability of risk assessment tools, and the importance of victims’ perceptions in assessing risk. Risk assessment tools designed and adapted specifically for vulnerable populations such as Indigenous, immigrant and refugee, same-sex partners, and children are highlighted. The CDHPIVP is nation-wide, five-year partnership grant funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council and co-directed by Drs. Myrna Dawson and Peter Jaffe. The goal of the initiative is to explore the unique needs and risk factors for four groups: Indigenous communities, immigrant and refugee groups, those living in rural, remote, and northern communities as well as children exposed to domestic violence. The project involves collaboration across more than 40 partners nationwide including community service organizations, government departments, and universities. Dawson is the CSSLRV Director, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Public Policy in Criminal Justice at the University of Guelph. Jaffe is the Academic Director of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children and Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University.
