DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVIEW GUIDE (Form and Instructions) © 2013 Battered Women’s Justice Project This project is supported by Award 2009 -TA-AX-K025… [612689]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVIEW GUIDE
(Form and Instructions)

© 2013 Battered Women’s Justice Project

This project is supported by Award 2009 -TA-AX-K025 from the Office of Violence Against Women,
U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed
herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of
Justice.

For questions or additional information, e mail us at [anonimizat]

2.27.2013

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 2

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVIEW GUIDE

Talking about Domestic V iolence

This interview guide is designed to help you identify domestic violence and coercive controlling
behaviors in family la w cases. It should be used with all adults who are parties, or who play a
parental role in a case, regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or parenting status.
Screening for domestic violence is often complicated by the fact that victim s: (1) may not know
why it might be in the interests of their children or themselves to disclose abuse; (2) may be
unclear or concerned about the ramifications of disclosure; (3) may not trust you with
information about domestic violence, in spite your goo d intentions; and (4) may not perceive that
their current level of risk warrants disclosure. For these and other reasons, victims are often
reluctant to disclose abuse. Screening for domestic violence, therefore, is not a one -time event,
but should occur periodically over the course of your involvement in the case. Bear in mind that
talking about abuse may be an emotionally difficult experience for the interviewee, as well as for
you. It is important to plan accordingly.

Introduction to the Interviewing Guide

The first column of this guide seeks general information across seven broad topic areas:
(1) personal interactions; (2) access to resources; (3) children and parenting; (4) control of daily
life; (5) emotional abuse; (6) physical abuse ; and (7) sexual abuse. Below each broad topic area
are examples of the kinds of things you might ask about in order to help you identify whether
domestic violence is, or may be, present. Research shows that asking behaviorally specific
questions is the most effective method of screening for abuse and coercive control.

Learning about these seven broad topic areas can help you identify important issues in the case.
It can help you assess the relative capacities of the parties to meaningfully participat e in
alternative dispute resolution processes. It can help you recognize the kinds of protections that
ought to be put in place to ensure that court proceedings are safe and effective. And, it can help
you and the parties with whom you are working to det ermine together what the most beneficial
and realistic outcomes might be for themselves and their children .

The second column suggests follow -up areas to explore when any domestic violence issues are
identified or disclosed under column one. These discus sion areas will help you gain a deeper
understanding of the nature, context, severity and implications of domestic violence and coercive
controlling behaviors.

The third column contains a checklist of key concepts, behaviors, and dynamics to listen for in
the narrative responses to the questions asked in columns one and two.

Practical Considerations

For safety reasons, care must be taken in determining where, when and how to conduct this
interview. The interview should not be conducted in the presence or proximity of any other party
or interested person unless s/he is an advocate or support person and it is determined that the

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 3
presence of that person will not create any confidentiality problems or threaten any applicable
professional privilege, such as the attorney -client privilege.

Before conducting the interview, you should explain to the interviewee:

(1) That the professional standards that guide your work require that you look into certain
issues in every case, including domestic violence, and tha t knowing about any history of
domestic violence will help you carry out your functions and fulfill your professional
responsibilities.

(2) What your specific role and function is in relation to the case, including:
□ What you were appointed, hired o r referred to do;
□ How you intend to do it;
□ What you will and won’t share with the court, the opposing party, and others; and
□ Whether the information will appear in the record and/or a pleading or report.

(3) The scope and/or limits of confiden tiality and your duty to report suspected child abuse
and certain serious crimes.

If a person discloses domestic violence, you should:

(1) Obtain as much information as possible in order to fully understand its implications,
without confining yourself to the topics listed in this guide;

(2) Assess with the person the risks s/he may be facing, including risks of injury, death or
other dangers, especially those arising from disclosing abuse; and

(3) Refer the person to a qualified domestic violence a dvocate for safety planning assistance
and a more in -depth risk assessment, as appropriate.

Remember that risk from domestic violence is never static, that it is difficult to predict, that it
can fluctuate over time, and that it often escalates once it h as been disclosed and/or the parties
separate .

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 4
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVIEW GUIDE

Adapted from Client Screening to Identify Domestic Violence Victimization , Domestic Abuse Committee of the Family Law Section of the
Minnesota State Bar Association, 2010 ; Holtzworth -Munroe, Beck & Applegate (2010), Mediator’s Assessment of Safety Issues and Concerns ;
and Janet Johnston, et al., IN THE NAME OF THE CHILD (2d ed.), Springer Publishing Co., 2009 .

1. Personal Interactions Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. Let’s start by talking
about your current
relationship with ______.

B. How comfortable are you
interacting with _____ now?
□ Being alone together
□ Meeting face -to-face
□ Talking by phone
□ Emailing or texting
□ Public encounters

C. Do you have any
concerns, fears or anxieties
that I should be aware of?

D. What worries you most?
1. Quality of interactions
a. Ability to express views
b. Trust in other’s judgment
c. Reliance on other’s word
d. Cost of disagreement
e. Post -separation changes

2. Prior separations

3. Snapshots
a. Happiest moments
b. Most worrisome moment
c. Scariest moments

4. Decision -making history

5. Stressors
a. Violence
b. Alcohol/drugs
c. Physical/mental health
d. Criminal activity
e. Poverty □ Autonomy
□ Control
□ Balance of power
□ Fear/danger/safety
□ Vulnerability

□ Dependability/predictability
□ Dis/honesty/deception
□ Dis/respect
□ Manipulation

□ Coercion/intimidat ion
□ Degradation/humiliation
□ Sabotage
□ Surveillance

□ Volatility
□ Jealousy/possessiveness
□ Entitlement

2. Access to Resources Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. I’d like to get a sense of
your economic wellbeing.

B. Do you have access to
your own resources, like
money, bank accounts, food,
housing, transportation and
healthcare?

C. Who decides how you
spend your money and
manage your financial
affairs? 1. History/detail

2. Ability to meet basic needs

3. Ability to meet obligations

4. Recent changes □ Control/Rulemaking
□ Dependence
□ Isolation

□ Denial of financial support
□ Child abuse/neglect
□ Child dependency

□ Blackmail
□ Financial sabotage
□ Forced criminal activity
□ Prostitution/pornography
□ Thef t/drug trafficking

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 5

3. Children/Parenting Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. Let’s talk about your
children.

B. Do you have any concerns
about your children or fears
for their safety?

C. How are parenting time
arrangements currently
being worked out?
□ Division of duties
□ Parenting skills/capacities
□ Parenting concerns/conflicts
□ Children’s adjustment
□ Access/exchange issues
□ Satisfaction with the plan

D. Has _____ ever used or
threatened to use the
children to manipu late,
control, or monitor you?

E. How are your children
doing now?

1. What worries you most?

2. Capacity for joint decisions
a. Common beliefs/values
b. Parental involvement
c. Trust in parental judgment
d. Support of other parent
e. Respect for other parent
f. Nurture/support of kids
g. Conflict resolution skills
h. Developmental stage(s)

3. Interference with care
4. Undermining authority
5. Threats to:
a. Take children away
b. Ha rm children
c. File CPS reports
d. Deport
e. Evict

6. Post -separation changes
□ Direct physical abuse
□ Child sexual abuse
□ Moral corruption
□ Pornography
□ Racism/sexism
□ Criminal activity

□ Post -separation violence
□ Intimidation/trauma/terror
□ Children treated as property
□ Lack of attunement to kids
□ Denial of kids’ feelings
□ Boundary violations

□ Parenting styles
□ Inconsistent parenting
□ Erratic role reversals
□ Unstable home environment

□ Minimizing kids’ needs
□ Denying effects of violence
□ Punishing kids being kids
□ Criticizing kids being kids
□ Lack of empathy for kids
□ Drawing kids into abuse
□ Grilling kids for information
□ Using kids as weapons

□ Children acting out
□ Children using violenc e
□ Children mimicking abuse
□ Children withdrawn/clingy
□ Age -inappropriate behaviors
□ Torn allegiances/loyalties
□ Changes in school work
□ Changes in social life

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 6

4. Control of Daily Life Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. I’d like to get a sense of
how much freedom you have
in your everyday life.
□ To come/go as you please
□ To manage your own time
□ To make own decisions
□ To set your own priorities
□ To interact with others
Can you talk a little about
that?

B. Is t here anything that gets
in your way of doing the
things you want or need to
do?

C. Has _______ ever:
□ Followed you
□ Often checked up on you
□ Examined your mail/email
□ Examined phone records
□ Hacked into email/accounts
□ Grilled you/timed activities
□ Used others to spy on you
□ Invaded your space/privacy
□ Misused social network sites

D. Has ______ ever
physically restrained you,
forbidden you from leaving,
made you do things you
didn’t want to do, or
punished you for defying
his/her wishes?

E. Has ______ ever shown
up unannounced, contacted
you against your will, or left
something for you to find in
order to scare or intimidate
you?
1. Detail

2. Frequency

3. Severity

4. Intent of other’s behavior

5. Meaning of behavior to you

6. Effect on:
a. Interactions
b. Relationships
c. Communications
d. Self/children
e. Parenting skills/capacities

7. Change:
a. Over time
b. Pre/post pregnancy
c. Pre/post separation
□ Micro -management of life
□ Rulemaking
□ Demands for o bedience
□ Compliance/resistance
□ Monitoring/surveillance

□ Disrespect of privacy
□ Disregard of boundaries
□ Jealousy/possessiveness
□ Expectations of loyalty

□ Entitlement/privilege
□ Power/control/omnipotence

□ Fear/intimidation/dread
□ Danger/insecurity
□ Unpredictability/instability

□ Stalking
□ Hostage -taking
□ Trafficking

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 7

5. Sexual Abuse Discussion Questions: What to Listen For:

A. While it is uncomfortable
to talk about these kinds of
things, it’s very important
for me to know if ____ ever
pressured or forced you to
do sexual things that you did
not want to do or that made
you scared, uncomfortable,
or ashamed. Has anything
like that ever happened?

B. Has ____ ever interfered
with your decisions about
birth control , pregnancy,
and/or safe sex?

C. Ha s _____ ever used your
image, or forced or
pressured you to use your
own image, to engage in
sexting or pornography?

D. Is there anything else you
think I should know about
______’s sexual behavior
towards you? 1. Detail

2. In front of whom?
□ Children
□ Family
□ Friends
□ Co -workers
□ Public
□ Nobody – just in private

3. Frequency

4. Severity

5. Intent of other’s behavior

6. Meaning of behavior to you

7. Effect on:
a. Interactions
b. Relationships
c. Communications
d. Self/children
e. Parenting skills/capacity

8. Change:
a. Over time
b. Pre/post pregnancy
c. Pre/post separation

9. Injuries
10. Medical attention
11. Hospital visits

12. Calls for help/to police
13. Arrests
14. Convictions/sanctions
15. Orders for protection
16. Protection order violations

□ Safety/risk/lethality

□ Sexual assault/coercion
□ Degradation/humiliation
□ Use of pornography
□ Control/intimidatio n/terror
□ Escalation
□ Jealousy/possessiveness

□ Capacity to negotiate
□ Relative bargaining power
□ Capacity to co -parent
□ Capacity to communicate

□ Danger to children
□ Moral corruption of kids
□ Impact on children
□ Threat of child abuse
□ Trauma/fear/anxiety
□ Inappropriate boundaries

□ Primary perpetration
□ Offensive/defensive wounds
□ Proportionality of force
□ Criminal justice response
□ Protection orders
□ Defiance of authority

□ Response to abuse
□ Fight
□ Flight
□ Freeze

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 8

6. Physical Abuse Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. Let’s turn to your
personal safety, both now
and in the past. Has ____
ever used or threatened to
use physical force or
violence against you or the
children?

□ Hold, pin down, restra in
□ Kneel, stand or sit upon
□ Tie up, bind, gag

□ Push, shove, shake, grab
□ Scratch, pull hair, shave hair
□ Twist arm

□ Bite
□ Spit on
□ Urinate upon

□ Slap
□ Hit or punch
□ Kick or stomp
□ Strike w/ or throw object at

□ Choke, strangle
□ Burn
□ Poke, stab, cut

□ Withhold food/medication
□ Disable medical equipment

B. What’s the worst thing
___ has ever done to you?

C. What’s the scariest thing
___ has ever done to you? 1. Detail

2. In front of whom?
□ Children
□ Family
□ Friends
□ Co -workers
□ Public
□ Nobody – just in private

3. Frequency

4. Severity

5. Intent of other’s behavior

6. Meaning of behavior to you

7. Effect on:
a. Interactions
b. Relationships
c. Communications
d. Self/c hildren
e. Parenting skills/capacity

8. Change:
a. Over time
b. Pre/post pregnancy
c. Pre/post separation

9. Injuries
10. Medical attention
11. Hospital visits

12. Calls for help/to police
13. Arrests
14. Convictions/sanctions
15. Protection orders
16. Protection order violations

□ Safety/risk of danger
□ Potential lethality
□ Recent escalation
□ Fear/dread/doom

□ Control, intimidation
□ Manipulation
□ Entitlement/privilege/power
□ Rulemaking
□ Demands for obedience
□ Complianc e/resistance

□ Humiliation
□ Autonomy/personhood
□ Equity/trust/security
□ Predictability/stability
□ Capacity to negotiate
□ Relative bargaining power

□ Capacity to co -parent
□ Capacity to communicate
□ Ability to meet kids’ needs
□ Differentiation of self/other
□ Trauma/fear/anxiety
□ Healthy attachments
□ Appropriate boundaries
□ Perspective of children

□ Hopelessness
□ Futility

□ Primary aggressor
□ Proportionality of force
□ Offensive/defensive wounds
□ Criminal justice interveners
□ Defiance of a uthority

□ Response to abuse
□ Fight
□ Flight
□ Freeze

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 9

7. Emotional Abuse Discussion Areas: What to Listen For:

A. Let’s talk more about
how you and _____ relate to
one another. Can you
describe how ______ treats
you as a person?

B. Does _____ ever:
□ Insult you or put you down
□ Ridicule you in public
□ Purposely humiliate you
□ Play mind games

C. Does _____ ever:
□ Intimidate you
□ Yell or scream at you
□ Act aggressively toward you

D. Does _____ ever:
□ Get jealous or possessiv e
□ Accuse you of infidelity

E. Does _ ever interfere
with:
□ Your work/school life
□ Your social life
□ Your sleep
□ Your healthcare/medications

F. Has ___ ever threatened
to:
□ Kill you or the children
□ Kill him/herself
□ Harm you or the children
□ Ha rm someone you care for
□ Harm or kill pets

G. Has ______ ever:
□ Destroyed your property
□ Threatened you w/ weapon
□ Put your life in danger
□ Disabled car/equipment
□ Driven recklessly to scare 1. Detail

2. In front of whom?
□ Children
□ Family
□ Friends
□ Co -workers
□ Public
□ Nobody – just in private

3. Frequency

4. Severity

5. Intent of other’s behavior

6. Meaning of behavior to you

7. Effect on:
a. Interactions
b. Relationships
c. Communications
d. Self/children
e. Parenting skills/capacities

8. Change:
a. Over time
b. Pre/post pregnancy
c. Pre/post separation

□ Attacks on sanity
□ Attacks on dignity
□ Extreme cruelty
□ Humiliation/embarrassment

□ Entrapment/paralysis
□ Hope lessness/futility
□ Trauma/fear/anxiety
□ Sabotage

□ Obsessive jealousy
□ Narcissism
□ Entitlement

□ Blackmail
□ Access to weapons

□ Seemingly innocent acts
with hidden meaning

□ Response to abuse
□ Fight
□ Flight
□ Freeze

© 2012 Battered Women’s Justice Project Page 10

Implications of Domestic Violence for Safety and Parenting :

Immediate Safety Concerns:

See Risk Assessment Factors and Questions 1(A) -(D),
3(B), 4(E), 5(F) -(G), 6(A) -(C), 7(A) -(D)
Risk Assessment Factors:
□ Increase in frequency/severity
□ Access to firearms
□ Recent separation
□ Unemployment
□ Use or threat to use lethal weapon
□ Threat to kill
□ Avoidance of arrest for dom.viol.
□ Step -children
□ Forced sex
□ Attempted strangulation
□ Illegal drug use
□ Alcohol dependency
□ Control of dail y activities
□ Violent or constant jealousy
□ Assault during pregnancy
□ Threatened or attempted suicide
□ Threat to harm children
□ Belief in capacity to kill
□ Stalking
□ Major mental illness Immediate Economic Concerns:

See Questions 2(A) -(C), 4(C), 5(E)

Immediate Parenting Concerns:

See Questions 1(A) -(C), 2(A) -(C), 3(A) -(E), 4(A) -(E),
5(E)-(G), 6(A) -(C), 7(A) -(D)

Long -Term Concerns: