Risk assessment and risk management by police

Risk assessment principles and steps

Principle 1: Prioritising victim safety

Expected result: Police officers are able to conduct risk assessment in a way that protects women’s privacy, guarantees confidentiality and provides protection from secondary or repeated victimisation. For the best effect, this should be done in collaboration with other relevant agencies.

Principle 2: Adopting a victim-centred approach

Expected result: Trained police officers are capable of developing more accurate estimates of danger and more targeted, tailor-made and efficient interventions, responding to the needs of the victim in a respectful, professional and gender-sensitive manner.

Principle 3: Taking a gender-specific approach

Expected result: Gender-competent police officers understand the gender dynamics of violence against women and are capable of predicting lethality.

Principle 4: Adopting an intersectional approach

Expected result: Police officers trained in intersectional approach will have a better understanding of how to develop tailor-made risk management strategies in a non-discriminatory manner, in compliance with Article 4 on fundamental rights, equality and non-discrimination of the Istanbul Convention.

Principle 5: Considering children’s experiences

Expected result: Police officers cooperate with specialised services equipped to identify and assess the risks to children to ensure their protection.

Define the purpose and objectives of police risk assessment
Identify the most appropriate approach to police risk assessment
Identify the most relevant risk factors for police risk assessment
Implement systematic police training and capacity development
Embed police risk assessment in a multiagency framework
Develop procedures for information management and confidentiality
Monitor and evaluate risk assessment practices and outcomes