SARA
Also written as: SARA — Spousal Assault Risk Assessment
Spousal Assault Risk Assessment guide used to evaluate risk of intimate partner violence recidivism.
Full Definition
SARA (Spousal Assault Risk Assessment) is a structured professional judgment tool designed to assess the risk of recidivism among men who have physically assaulted their female intimate partners. The instrument consists of 20 items covering criminal history, psychosocial adjustment, spousal assault history, and characteristics of the most recent offense. Unlike actuarial tools, SARA allows evaluators to consider protective factors and case-specific circumstances while maintaining systematic assessment of empirically-supported risk factors. The tool has been validated in multiple populations and is widely used in forensic settings, domestic violence courts, and correctional facilities to inform decisions about supervision, treatment, and safety planning.
Usage
Usage note: Specific to intimate partner violence; not appropriate for general violence risk assessment.
In Context
- "The SARA assessment indicated elevated risk based on escalating violence patterns and victim vulnerability factors." — Domestic violence evaluation
- "SARA guidelines emphasize the importance of victim input in developing accurate risk formulations." — Risk assessment training