SARA

Overview

The Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA) helps criminal justice professionals predict the likelihood of domestic violence by screening for risk factors in individuals who are suspected of, or who are being treated for spousal abuse.

Key Features:

• Determine the extent to which risk factors of crucial predictive importance have been assessed with a quality control checklist
• Helps determine the degree to which an individual poses a risk to his or her spouse, children, another family member, or any other person involved
• Can be used by members of various boards or tribunals (e.g., parole and review boards, professional ethics committees, etc.) lawyers, victim’s rights advocates, and also prisoners’ rights advocates

The SARA is based on:

• Interviews with the accused and the victim(s)
• Standardized measures of physical and emotional abuse
• Standardized measures of drug and alcohol abuse
• Review of collateral records, including police reports, victim statements, and criminal records
• Other psychological assessments as required or as available