Risk Assessment in Intimate Partner Violence: The Predictive Validity of the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA)

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a significant health and social problem that affects approximately one in five Australians and is the leading cause of injury to women. This thesis examined the reliability and predictive validity of a risk assessment used in IPV cases - the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA) - amongst two samples of adult males with convictions for violent and/or stalking offences against an intimate partner. It is the first research to validate the tool within Australia, providing field context for how it operates in practice and improved justification for its application, as well as considerations around its limitations.