We aim to develop a common language for assessing and talking about intimate partner violence risk across municipal and provincial police services in Canada
Effective risk management requires a common language for interpreting risk over time and place. The development of standardized risk levels that provide a common language for linking risk scores to risk management have been developed for criminal reoffending in general, and for sexual reoffending, but have not yet been developed for IPV. Also concerning is the fact that existing tools may not reflect the growing concerns police face in cases of non-physical coercive control and child abuse concurrent with IPV. These gaps weaken efforts to promote public safety.
This collaboration among researchers and police partners in three provinces will lead to the creation of a shared research database, laying the foundation for large-scale studies of evidence-based policing of IPV for the first time in Canada.
Foto by @martz90
Objective 1
Creating data-sharing agreements between researchers and police services across Canada
Foto by Alexander Grey
Objective 2
Establishing standardized risk levels tied to risk management guidelines
Objective 3
Foto by @sebastiansvenson
Enhancing the application of IPV risk assessment to new populations, risk factors, and outcomes:
Gender- and sexually- inclusive populations
Non-violent abuse and coercive control
Partner violence and child abuse
“The 2022 inquest into the triple femicide of Anastasia Kuzyk, Nathalie Warmerdam and Carol Culleton in Renfrew County, Ontario made clear that there needs to be a consistent way to communicate and act upon cases deemed high risk.”
Prof N. Zoe Hilton, Lead Investigator, Waypoint
“Police organizations are asked to be a lot of things to a lot of people but they do not always have the knowledge or research literacy to know where to start… so partnerships are essential.”
Prof Mary Ann Campbell, Co-Investigator, University of New Brunswick
