Intimate Partner Violence RIsk Study

Welcome to the Intimate Partner Violence Risk Study

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important research study conducted by Operation Safe Escape. Your responses will play a critical role in helping us better understand the factors that contribute to increased risk of violence and homicide in intimate partner relationships.

This study aims to identify patterns and predictors of violence or homicide to allow us to better protect and guide the survivors we work with. Additionally, the research will help advocates, shelters, and safe houses more effectively intervene, support survivors, and prevent harm before it escalates. Your participation will help shape the future of survivor-centered safety planning and advocacy.

Your responses are completely anonymous and confidential. We understand that discussing these topics can be difficult, and we encourage you to take breaks as needed. If at any point you feel distressed, please consider reaching out to a trusted support network or a crisis resource.

By continuing with this survey, you are contributing to vital research that will help protect lives and strengthen support systems for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Thank you for your time and for helping us make a difference.

Section 1: Nature and Severity

This section will discuss the different forms that the abuse may have taken, as well as the severity.

1. Was the abuse:

Physical
Psychological or emotional
Sexual
Other (please clarify)

2. Did the offender ever directly and intentionally hit, slap, kick, strike with a weapon, or commit any other act of violence against you or your children?

Yes, me
Yes, our shared children (to include children the offender adopted)
Yes, my biological children (the offender's step-children or similar if unmarried)
Yes, adopted children
No

3. Did the offender ever intentionally and clearly attempt to kill you or your children?

Yes, me
Yes, our shared children (to include children the offender adopted)
Yes, my biological children (the offender's step-children or similar if unmarried)
Yes, adopted children
No

4. How severe was the worst incident of violence against you, excluding attempted homicide?

Severe and prolonged torture, strangulation, assault with any deadly weapon
Hitting with a closed fist, beating up, hitting with an object
Throwing things at you, pushing, pulling hair, slapping, biting
Throwing things (but not at you), punching walls, verbal abuse

5. Did the offender ever force you to have sex against your will?

6. Did the offender ever harm, threaten to harm, or neglect a pet or other animal in a direct effort to control or intimidate you?

7. Did the offender ever abuse you while you were pregnant (if appicable?

8. Was the offender highly controlling and possessive? This may include behaviors such as saying who you can and cannot spend time with, choosing what you wear or eat, emotionally manipulating you, micromanaging your day, constantly monitoring you, etc

9. Was the offender jealous?

Yes, extremely jealous of people and activities that took time away from them.Time spent away from the offender had to be accounted for and evidence was sometimes demanded. The offender tried to limit time you could spend with others.
Yes, the offender was sometimes jealous of other people or activities that took time away from them. They may have made comments intended to guilt or manipulate you.
No

10. Were there any actual or attempted violent acts within the first year after you left the relationship?

Section 2: History

This section explores some of the history leading up to and during times of abuse

11. Had the abuse escalated over time before the most severe incident?

12. How many times would you estimate you were abused before the most severe incident?

0
1-3
4-10
11+

13. Did the offender have a prior history of assault or violent acts against an intimate partner or family member?

Yes, they had a known history of intimate partner violence
No, they did not have a history of intimate partner violence
I don’t know

14. Did the offender have a history of prior assault or violent acts against people other than an intimate partner?

Yes, they had a known history of violence or assault
No, they did not have a history of violence or assault
I don’t know

15. Prior to the most severe act of abuse, did they have a history of ignoring court orders? ("ignoring" means refusing to follow them, pretending they don't exist, or evading service)

Yes, they ignored restraining orders or other DV-related court orders
Yes, they ignored court orders in criminal matters
Yes, they ignored court orders in civil or other matters
No
I don’t know

16. Did the offender abuse illegal drugs, not including cannibis?

Yes, "hard drugs" such as meth, heroin, cocaine
Yes, pyschedelic drugs such as LCD or mushrooms
No
I don't know

17. Was the abuser an alcoholic or a problem drinker?

Yes
No
I don't know

18. Were there any events or behaviors that you know would precede a violent or dangerous act?

Yes (please explain in as much detail as you're comfortable with)
No

history to monitoring

19. How did the offender generally handle different forms of rejection, such as romantic, job-related, social, etc?

Respectful and understanding
Annoyed but lets it go
Becomes upset and sulks
Becomes aggressive, demanding, and threatening
Tries to guilt or manipulate the person that rejected them
I don’t know

Section 3: Use of technology

In this section, we examine ways that the offender used technology to control or further the abuse

20. Did you experience any forms of technical control, attack, or similar acts? That is, was technology used against you by the offender?

Suspected yes, but was not technically validated
Suspected yes due to their behaviors and awareness of things discussed in private
Yes, technically validated account intrusion / hacking
Yes, cyberstalking / digital harassment
Yes, “Sim Swapping” attacks
Yes, restricting access to accounts or devices
Other (please explain in as much detail as you're comfortable with)

21. Were there any instances of digital surveillance and monitoring?

Suspected yes, but was not technically validated
Suspected yes due to their behaviors and awareness of things discussed in private
Yes, they monitored or restricted my social media activity
Yes, they conducted digital surveillance, to include monitoring through iCloud, family sharing tools, tracking my location through GPS or other apps, etc
Yes, they accessed my phone or computer without consent
Yes, the used security cameras or baby monitors to watch me
Yes, they controlled smart locks, lights, or other home systems to exert control
Other (please explain in as much detail as you’re comfortable with, to include how you discovered the surveillance)

22. If the surveillance or monitoring was covert, did discovering it lead to additional forms of abuse or escalation of abuse?

Yes, it led to a violent event
Yes, they became more controlling using technology
Yes, the abuse escalated for a long duration or until the end of the relationship
Yes, the devices were taken from me
No, there was no change
I did not reveal that I knew I was being monitored

23. Did you suspect or discover that the offender had installed spyware, tracking apps, or keyloggers on your devices?

Yes, I found tracking or monitoring apps on my phone/computer
I suspected they were monitoring me but couldn't confirm
No, I don’t think they used spyware or tracking software

24. Did you suspect or discover that the offender had used physical tracking devices, such as a GPS monitor, Tile Tracker, or AirTag

Yes, I found a monitoring device
I suspected they were monitoring me but couldn't confirm
No, I don’t think they used such a device

25. Did they ever pressure or force you to share your passwords for your phone, social media, email, or bank accounts?

26. Did they ever damage, take away, disable, or limit your phone, computer, or other digital devices?

Yes, when they suspected I was “doing something” they didn’t want me to do
Yes, but there wasn’t a pattern
Yes, any time we weren't together
No

27. Did the offender ever share your private information (e.g., home address, phone number, workplace) online to harass or intimidate you?

Yes, they publicly shared my personal details to threaten me
They threatened to dox me but never followed through
No, they did not expose my personal information

28. Did technical aspects of the abuse happen before, after, or during times where you were being physically abused?

I was not physically abused
Before
After
During

Please provide any context you would like to share about this question

Section 4: Use of language

We'll examing how the offender used langauge related to abuse or specific groups

29. Did the offender use dehumanizing language to refer to anyone they later harmed (or attempted to harm) or killed (or attempted to kill)? Examples include calling a person “it” or focusing on labels and swear words rather than individual or group names.

Yes, me
Yes, another intimate partner (to include non-romantic partners)
Yes, another person they were not related to or who was not a romantic partner
Yes, a member of a specific demographic or class
No
I don’t recall

Please provide any context you would like to share about this question (copy)

30. Did the use of dehumanizing language increase leading up to the most serious act of abuse or violence?

Yes, but the victim was not the subject of the dehumizing language
Yes, and victim WAS the subject of the dehumizing language
No
I don't recall

31. Did the offender use fatalistic language or make suicidal/homicidal ideations leading up to the most serious act of abuse?

Yes. Fatalistic statements such as “this won’t be a problem for much longer” or “
Yes. Suicidal ideations such as “the world would be better off without me” or “you’ll be sorry when I’m gone”
Yes. Homicidal ideations such as “you’re living on borrowed time” or statements about wanting to murder someone
Yes. Homicidal ideations specifically targeting a victim of intimate partner violence
No / not that I’m aware of

Section 5: Demographics

This information will help identify trends and specific areas of risks, and provide valuable context to the information in this survey

What was the nature of the relationship at the time the abuse was occuring?

Romantic partner, married
Romantic partner, unmarried
Romantic partner; we got married while the abuse was ongoing
Family member

I identify as:

The offender identified as:

If married or living as a family, we had:

Additional comments or notes