Antisociality in intimate partner violence risk assessment: an analysis of the SARA-V2, SARA-V3, and B-SAFER

Purpose There is evidence that risk factors measuring aspects of antisociality contribute substantially to the prediction of recidivism in actuarial intimate partner violence (IPV) risk assessment tools, however, this has not been examined in structured professional judgment (SPJ) IPV risk assessment tools. This study aims to examine the representation and predictive accuracy of factors measuring antisociality in three SPJ tools. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigated items measuring antisociality in the SARA-V2, SARA-V3 and B-SAFER to assess IPV risk in a Canadian sample of 266 men who had previously committed a violent crime against their female partner. The authors examined whether the underlying factor structure empirically separated antisocial items from other items and analyzed the predictive accuracy of the antisocial factors. Findings Partial antisocial factors emerged in the SARA-V2 and SARA-V3, while a clear antisocial factor emerged in the B-SAFER. All antisocial factors demonstrated significant predictive values for IPV recidivism in area under the curve and Cox regression analyses. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution to the field by using an empirical approach to examine antisocial factors in three commonly used SPJ tools. The findings underscore the need for a continued focus on antisocial traits and behaviors during IPV risk estimation, management and treatment.