Here is a clear, plain-English explanation of DASH reports and forensic psychologists, and how they interact in domestic abuse, coercive control, and safeguarding cases (UK-relevant, but principles apply more broadly).
🔴 DASH REPORTS (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence)
What a DASH report is
A DASH risk assessment is a structured professional tool used to assess the risk of serious harm or homicide in domestic abuse cases.
It is not a mental health test and not a diagnosis.
It focuses on:
- Behaviour
- Patterns
- Escalation
- Risk indicators
Who completes DASH reports
DASH forms are completed by:
- Police
- Social workers
- Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs)
- Safeguarding professionals
- Sometimes health professionals
⚠️ Not psychologists (unless acting in a safeguarding role).
What DASH assesses
The DASH looks at evidence-based red flags, including:
- Escalation in violence or threats
- Coercive control
- Stalking or monitoring
- Threats to kill
- Sexual coercion
- Strangulation history
- Jealousy and ownership
- Access to weapons
- Abuse during separation
- Impact on children
👉 These factors are drawn from domestic homicide reviews, not theory.
What DASH is used for
- Identifying high-risk cases
- Triggering MARAC referrals
- Informing safeguarding plans
- Guiding immediate protection measures
🔴 A high DASH score = high risk, even if the abuser appears “calm” or “normal”.
What DASH does NOT do
❌ It does not assess personality
❌ It does not diagnose psychopathy
❌ It does not explain why someone abuses
It answers one question only:
How dangerous is this situation right now?
🧠 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGISTS
What a forensic psychologist does
A forensic psychologist assesses psychological functioning in legal contexts.
They are concerned with:
- Risk
- Behaviour patterns
- Mental state
- Personality traits
- Impact on victims and children
- Likelihood of repetition
What forensic psychologists assess
Depending on the case, they may assess:
- Personality disorders
- Psychopathic traits (e.g., PCL-R, CAPP)
- Risk of violence or coercive control
- Parenting capacity
- Impact of abuse on victims and children
- Credibility of behavioural explanations
⚠️ These assessments are long, structured, evidence-based, and require training.
What tools they may use
- PCL-R / PCL-SV → forensic psychopathy (risk-focused)
- CAPP → psychopathic personality traits
- HCR-20 / RSVP → violence risk
- PAI / MMPI-2 → personality and psychopathology
- Structured interviews + collateral records
👉 Unlike DASH, these tools examine enduring patterns, not immediate danger alone.
🔗 How DASH Reports and Forensic Psychology Fit Together
Think of it like this:
DASHForensic PsychologyImmediate dangerLong-term riskBehaviour-basedTrait + behaviour-basedFrontline safeguardingSpecialist expert analysisAnswers “How risky is this?”Answers “Why does this pattern exist and will it continue?”
In serious cases
- DASH identifies high risk
- MARAC is triggered
- Courts or services may then request a forensic psychological assessment to:
- Clarify coercive control dynamics
- Assess risk to children
- Understand likelihood of escalation
- Inform long-term protection decisions
⚠️ Why This Matters for Survivors
Many survivors hear:
“He seems normal.”
“There’s no diagnosis.”
“He hasn’t lost control.”
But:
- DASH focuses on what he does, not how he appears
- Forensic psychology focuses on patterns and risk, not charm
- Abuse does not require mental illness
- Control ≠ calm ≠ safe
Someone can:
- Pass as “normal”
- Avoid diagnosis
- Still be extremely dangerous
🕊️ Key Truth
You do not need:
- A psychopathy label
- A personality disorder diagnosis
- A psychological explanation
For professionals to recognise:
This behaviour is dangerous.
DASH saves lives.
Forensic psychology explains risk.
Neither requires the abuser to “look unstable”.
