NCJ Number
180018
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 29 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 23-33
Date Published
1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article explores the problem of measuring domestic violence and reviews the most commonly used assessment tools.
Abstract
Conflict Tactic Scales respondents are asked to indicate how many times within a given time period they used reasoning or argument, verbal or symbolic aggression or physical aggression during disagreements or fights. The Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory measures pervasiveness of occurrence of psychologically abusive behaviors, with versions for both men and women. The Domestic Violence Blame Scale attempts to measure facets of blame attribution regarding domestic violence. The Index of Spouse Abuse is structured to measure the "severity or magnitude of physical and non-physical abuse...inflicted upon a woman by her spouse or partner." The WALMYR Assessment Scales include Non-Physical Abuse of Partner Scale, Physical Abuse of Partner Scale, Partner Abuse Scale-Physical and the Partner Abuse Scale Non-Physical. The Severity of Violence Against Women Scale measures threatened, attempted and completed behaviors likely to cause physical injury or pain and the physical or emotional consequences of the acts on the target of the violence. Finally, the Abusive Behavior Inventory measures the physical and psychological abuse of women by their partners, soliciting responses from both perpetrators and targets. References