Assessment tests
During this time of “free” time we are going over our assessment tests for various situations. Wondering what other counselors are using for the DV Batterer’s assessment tools
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Apr 03, 2020 @ 00:29:50
At our Alternative Behavior Choices program in the San Francisco Bay Area, our BIP group facilitators conduct a thorough intake that includes an oral psychosocial assessment, as well as administration of five validated and reliable questionnaires:
Conflict Tactics Scales – measures rates of verbal, symbolic and physical abuse.
Relationship Self-Assessment – measures client’s relationship skills.
Controlling and Abusive Tactics Questionnaire – measures rates of emotional abuse and controlling behaviors.
Safe at Home – measures level of motivation to change.
Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire – measures degree to which a client is securely or insecurely attached to his/her partner.
These questionnaires help us to better understand our clients, and they also provide them with specific goals (we re-administer the questionnaires at the end of the program, as one way to measure treatmet success.) Although some clients complain about having to do these, the majority enjoy doing them and are grateful for the time and energy our facilitators put in scoring the questionnaires and giving the clients valuable feedback.
I have our assessment protocol, inluding these questionnaires, in a pdf, if anyone wants a copy. Just e-mail me at: johnmhamel@comcast.net
Apr 08, 2020 @ 22:50:50
Thank you John for your share. I continue to utilize these questionnaires and my clients have appreciated the opportunity to review and to discuss both their baseline and final scores as well as to discuss their understanding of self over the course of their time in group.
Nov 24, 2020 @ 15:03:30
Thanks John – will send you an email. I saw ODARA, SARA or Propensity for Abusiveness Scale referenced in 2016 conference literature. Wondering if I can get access to those assessments as well. Or if John’s are similar.
Feb 27, 2022 @ 20:42:56
Thanks John. I have been using the SARA, ECRQ, a measure of violent thoughts and behaviours. I’ve found the SARA to be fairly crude unless there are specific behaviours present (as opposed to emotional abuse tactics) and usually the measures I’ve used have been insufficient for formulation – actually, the ECRQ has been the most useful even though it isn’t DFV specific. I’m very interested in the CAT-2 questionnaire you developed.
Feb 28, 2022 @ 03:42:46
Matthew:
You, and anyone else who is an ADVIP member, can obtain the CAT-2 by simply e-mailing me and requesting it.
the CAT-2, a gender inclusive instrument that measures individuals’ use of such tactics in their relationship with an intimate partner (Hamel et al., 2015). It includes 36 items organized around four dimensions: derogation and control, jealous-hypervigilance, threats and control of space, and sexual derogation. Items of this measure are answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (Never) to 4 (Frequent). The CAT-2 was significantly and positively correlated with the Measure of Psychologically Abusive Behaviors, a general aggression measure, and the psychopathy and narcissism subscales of the Dark Triad measure. The CAT-2 therefore has been shown to have good construct and convergent validity. Examples of items included in the derogation and control are “Ridicules partner” and “Treats partner like he/she is stupid.” Examples of items included in the jealous-hypervigilance dimension include “Follows partner around” and “Searches partner’s purse/wallet/ cell phone calls.” Finally, examples of items included in the threats and control of space dimension are “Verbally threatens to hurt partner” and “Threatens with gestures (e.g., staring).” Items were answered with a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (frequent). High scores in each subscale indicate frequent engagement in problematic relationship behaviors.