Citation

Sonkin DJ, Liebert DS. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2003; 6(2): 3-36.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J146v06n02_02

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The authors present a comprehensive assessment protocol for court-mandated perpetrators of domestic violence. Because of the inherent risk of harm to others present in the context of domestic violence treatment, the authors present an assessment process with a clear set of goals and expressed expectations. These goals help to set the context of treatment from the onset and serve as a continual frame of reference that both therapist and patient will refer to throughout the treatment process. The authors discuss the following assessment issue: informed consent and disclosure; confidentiality; patient rapport; patient motivation for treatment; patients' suitability for treatment; differential diagnosis; the assessment of violence and social history; patients' risk for further violence and other acting-out; behavioral interventions for violence control; developing treatment plans.