Lethality Assessment

By: Lorain County (OH) Domestic Violence Task Force

Dispatchers, officers, and advocates can utilize the indicators below in making an assessment of the batterer’s potential to kill. The greater the number of indicators that the batterer demonstrates, or the greater the intensity of indicators, the greater the likelihood of a life threatening attack. Reliable information cannot be obtained from an interview conducted with the victim and perpetrator together. Furthermore, information obtained from the victim is significantly more reliable than that from the batterer.

1. ____ Has the physical violence increased in frequency over the past year?

2. ____ Has the physical violence increased in severity over the past year and/or has a weapon or threat with a weapon been used?

3. ____ Has your abuser ever tried to strangle you?

4. ____ Has he/she ever been violent during sex?

5. ____ Have you ever been beaten by your abuser when you were pregnant?

6. ____ Does he/she continue to use drugs/alcohol even though he/she has had a problem with it or stopped in the past?

7. ____ Does your abuser have a criminal record? For what?

8. ____ Does he/she have access to and/or been trained in the use of weapons or martial arts?

9. ____ Does he/she report that he/she doesn’t remember the violent episode (with or without alcohol)?

10. ____ Does he/she state that he/she has no control over his thoughts, feelings, or behavior when violent?

11. ____ Are there times when he/she seems to reach a “point of no return”, which may include self-injury?

12. ____ Is your abuser violent towards your children?

13. ____ Is your abuser violent outside the home?

14. ____ Have you ever threatened or tried to commit suicide as a result of the abuse in this relationship?

15. ____ Has your abuser ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?

16. ____ Has your abuser attempted to or destroyed household pets?

17. ____ Does your abuser blame you for his problems?

18. ____ Does your abuser blame you for his violence?

19. ____ Does your abuser believe you are out to get him?

20. ____ Does he/she control your daily activities?

21. ____ Is your abuser violently and constantly jealous?

22. ____ Has your abuser stalked you?

23. ____ Does he/she threaten to kill you and/or do you believe he/she is capable of killing you?

24. ____ Has your abuser used or threatened to use arson as a weapon?

25. ____ Have you ever sought help in the community for the abuse (including police, doctors, or ministers) and not received it?

26. ____ Has he/she become more violent after you seek help?

27. ____ Does he have a history of violating protection orders and/or probation/parole violations?