1. What the Scores Indicate
- DASH Score: 21/27
- DASH has 27 questions covering physical, emotional, sexual abuse, harassment, stalking, threats, and children’s exposure to abuse.
- Answering “Yes” to 21 items indicates multiple, serious risk factors are present.
- Suggests: frequent abuse, threats to life, potential for escalation, and significant danger to the victim.
- High Risk at MARAC
- MARAC classifies victims based on DASH and other evidence.
- “High risk” means the victim is likely to suffer serious harm or homicide without immediate intervention.
- Triggers coordinated multi-agency protective actions (police, courts, social services, housing, health).
2. Neuroscience Perspective
- Amygdala Activation:
- High-risk perpetrators often trigger extreme threat perception in the victim.
- The victim’s amygdala (fear center) is highly activated, causing hyper-vigilance, anxiety, and stress responses.
- Chronic Stress Effects:
- Prolonged exposure to high-risk abuse can lead to:
- Dysregulated HPA axis → elevated cortisol → anxiety, insomnia, memory issues
- Impaired prefrontal cortex function → difficulty making decisions under stress
- Amygdala-prefrontal dysbalance → heightened threat detection, exaggerated startle responses
- Prolonged exposure to high-risk abuse can lead to:
- Perpetrator Neurobiology:
- High-risk abusers often exhibit:
- Overactive reward circuits (dopamine) when controlling or intimidating the victim
- Reduced empathy circuits (mirror neuron and prefrontal networks)
- Hyper-reactivity to perceived loss of control, increasing aggression and coercive behaviour
- High-risk abusers often exhibit:
3. Psychological Perspective
- For the Victim:
- Experiencing 21/27 risk factors and MARAC high-risk status can lead to:
- Trauma symptoms (PTSD, hypervigilance, flashbacks)
- Emotional dysregulation (fear, anger, guilt, shame)
- Learned helplessness if protective measures are delayed
- Experiencing 21/27 risk factors and MARAC high-risk status can lead to:
- For the Perpetrator:
- Behaviour patterns are often coercive and controlling, showing:
- Narcissistic traits or fragile ego
- Obsessive monitoring and stalking behaviour
- Escalation risk due to frustration or perceived loss of control
- Behaviour patterns are often coercive and controlling, showing:
- Behavioural Pattern:
- High-risk scores indicate a pattern of repeated, escalating abuse, not isolated incidents.
- Victim safety is compromised without immediate legal, social, and psychological intervention.
4. Implications for Safety and Intervention
- Immediate multi-agency intervention is critical: police monitoring, protective orders, safe housing, custody arrangements.
- Safety planning must consider all risk factors (location, communications, children, financial access).
- Trauma-informed support for the victim is essential to reduce long-term psychological and physiological impact.
- Neuroscience-informed approaches (stress regulation, EMDR, somatic therapy) help survivors restore neural circuits affected by chronic threat exposure.
Key Takeaway:
A DASH score of 21/27 and high-risk MARAC classification reflects serious, multi-faceted risk. Neuroscience shows that victims’ brains are in a chronic stress state, while perpetrators are neurologically and psychologically primed for escalation. Immediate, coordinated intervention is essential to protect the victim and prevent serious harm.
