My client, 22 year old Emily Spencer, who is a single female, employed as a waitress, walked into the agency seeking help from her ex-boyfriend verbal threats on her life after she left him and fled to her parent’s home. After explaining to Emily her rights and our confidentiality policy as well as any immediate medical needs she may have, I proceeded to assess the level of danger by using a 15-item evaluation known as the Danger Assessment which will evaluate her risk of homicide. Before, during so I advised Emily the assessment should only be used as a guide in preparation of what to do next (Campbell, 1988). Emily Spencer’s risk factors totaled 8, indicating her life is at grave risk of danger. The reasons for Emily’s score are as follows:
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Each of these behaviors are risk factors on the danger assessment tool and researchers recorded 80% of the abusers who murder their victims were violently and constantly jealous (NIJ, 2008). These revelations raise serious concern for Emily’s safety and place her in grave risk to become a murdered victim because her score is now 8, however, scores cannot predict violence with absolute certainty, and therefore lower scores do not guarantee safety (Latz, ppt). Finally, Emily mentions that James has continued to call her after she left him for good; he has showed up at her parent’s home and her workplace. The abusers’ behavior can now be defined as stalking, which is “harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly; such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving messages, objects or vandalizing a person’s property” ( McFarlane et al, 1999 p. …show more content…
If Emily has to leave quickly, she would retreat to a nearby relative. Additionally, Emily may find herself in an altercation with the abuser, if so she will move close to an access door which leads outside. Emily will comply with her assailant to calm him down, giving her time to implement remaining safety plans, including getting to money and an extra set of keys and flee from the
Each of these behaviors are risk factors on the danger assessment tool and researchers recorded 80% of the abusers who murder their victims were violently and constantly jealous (NIJ, 2008). These revelations raise serious concern for Emily’s safety and place her in grave risk to become a murdered victim because her score is now 8, however, scores cannot predict violence with absolute certainty, and therefore lower scores do not guarantee safety (Latz, ppt). Finally, Emily mentions that James has continued to call her after she left him for good; he has showed up at her parent’s home and her workplace. The abusers’ behavior can now be defined as stalking, which is “harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly; such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving messages, objects or vandalizing a person’s property” ( McFarlane et al, 1999 p. …show more content…
If Emily has to leave quickly, she would retreat to a nearby relative. Additionally, Emily may find herself in an altercation with the abuser, if so she will move close to an access door which leads outside. Emily will comply with her assailant to calm him down, giving her time to implement remaining safety plans, including getting to money and an extra set of keys and flee from the