The DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, and Honour-Based Violence) Risk Identification Checklist is a standardized tool used by UK police, social services, and other agencies to assess the risk of serious harm to victims of domestic abuse. It helps professionals decide what level of intervention and protective measures are needed.
1. Purpose of the DASH Risk Assessment
- Identify victims at high risk of serious harm or homicide.
- Provide a consistent framework for police, social workers, and multi-agency teams.
- Trigger referral to MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) for high-risk cases.
2. Structure of a DASH Assessment
- Contains 27 questions covering:
- Nature of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, or financial.
- Harassment & stalking: including online abuse.
- Children & family risk: exposure to harm or coercive control.
- Perpetrator behavior: threats, access to weapons, escalation patterns.
- Victim perception: fear and intimidation.
- Example questions:
- “Has the perpetrator ever used weapons or threatened you with one?”
- “Has the abuse increased in severity or frequency recently?”
- “Do you feel your life is at risk?”
3. Scoring System
- Each “Yes” answer indicates a potential risk factor.
- Risk scoring is not a single numeric score but is categorized based on the presence and severity of risk indicators:
| Risk Level | Description | Typical Response |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Abuse present but not judged to pose immediate serious harm | Routine safeguarding, monitoring, and advice |
| Medium | Abuse shows signs of escalation or some indicators of harm | Active monitoring, safety planning, targeted intervention |
| High | Multiple indicators of serious harm present (threats to life, weapons, repeated stalking) | Referral to MARAC, intensive police intervention, emergency protective measures |
- High-risk cases trigger referral to MARAC, a multi-agency meeting where police, social services, housing, health, and other agencies coordinate safety planning.
4. Importance and Use
- Ensures consistent identification of victims at serious risk.
- Guides protective measures, including restraining orders, police monitoring, emergency housing, or legal intervention.
- Provides a documented basis for legal or social service action.
Key Takeaway:
The DASH risk assessment is a structured checklist rather than a strict numeric score. Its purpose is to identify victims at risk of serious harm and guide professionals in deciding what protective measures are needed immediately. High-risk cases are automatically referred to MARAC for coordinated, multi-agency intervention.
