RELATIONSHIP HISTORY

• Increase in frequency of cycle of violence.
  
• Police involvement in prior year.
  
• Increase in severity of injuries inflicted.
  
• Victim has needed medical treatment for injuries inflicted.
  
• Abuser caused life-threatening injury in prior incidents.
  
• Abuser threatened homicide or suicide. Has verbalized or acted out fantasies or plans to commit homicide or suicide.
  
• Abuser threatened to use weapons against victim. Has used a weapon or marital arts before.
  
• Abuser threatened to and/or has killed or maimed pets.
  
• Abuser has raped victim.
  
• Abuser beat victim when pregnant.
  
• Abuser physically or sexually abused a child.
  
• Victim is very isolated; abuser sharply restricts social and/or family contacts.
  
• Victim has threatened to commit suicide.
  
• Victim and abuser are in a common-law relationship.
  
• Victim obtained an abuse order, recently left or filed for divorce. A change in custody arrangements limiting access to children and partner.
  
• Victim has entered a new relationship.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABUSER

• Abuses alcohol or drugs, or recently returned to abusing substances after abstinence or participation in a program.
  
• Extremely jealous, obsessed with partner: "If I can't have you, no one will." "Death before divorce." Stalks her, monitors her whereabouts.
  
• Extreme male dominance or attempts to achieve such dominance. Believes there are situations when it's OK for a man to hit his wife.
  
• Is extremely isolated, lacks support systems/supportive others; partner is central to his existence.
  
• History of violence with prior partners, family members and/or others.
  
• History of violations of abuse orders.
  
• Depression; expressed hopelessness about the future; cannot see alternatives to violence.
  
• Increased risk-taking: has begun to act without regard to the legal or social consequences which previously constrained violence: more serious violence, inflicting visible injuries, loss of job, drunk driving arrest, etc.
  
• Witnessed severe violence between parents or was severely abused as a child.
  
• History of employment or participation in settings where violence has been normalized: martial arts, combat.
  
• Psychiatric disturbance, including pronounced disorders such as delusions.
  

SITUATIONAL FACTORS

• Presence of weapons.
  
• Access/proximity to victim.