In the 1980s, Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing developed a 20-question form based on risk factors for intimate-partner homicides. Her work became the model for the Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders, which was developed by the Maryland Network of Domestic Violence in 2003 for first responders such as police to use in the field.
The research-based Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders questionnaire helps police identify victims of domestic violence who are at the greatest risk of being seriously injured or killed by their partners.
When answers to questionnaires raise red flags, police work to connect victims with domestic violence hotline counselors, who help formulate a safety plan and try to get victims to use domestic violence services.
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