Computerized aid improves safety decision process for survivors of intimate partner violence

Abstract

A computerized safety decision aid was developed and tested with Spanish or English-speaking abused women in shelters or domestic violence (DV) support groups (n = 90). The decision aid provides feedback about risk for lethal violence, options for safety, assistance with setting priorities for safety, and a safety plan personalized to the user. Women reported that the decision aid was useful and provided much-needed privacy for making safety decisions. The majority (69%) reported severe to extreme danger in their relationship as scored by Danger Assessment (DA); only 60% reported having made a safety plan. After using the safety decision aid, the women felt more supported in their decision (p = .012) and had less total decisional conflict (p = .014). The study demonstrated that a computerized safety decision aid improved the safety planning process, as demonstrated by reduced decisional conflict after only one use in a sample of abused women.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interests with respect to their authorship or the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1

Screen shot of a sample pairwise comparison

Figure 2

Sample feedback of safety priorities

Figure 3

Sample Danger Assessment score and level of danger

Figure 4

Decisional conflict measured pre- and postsafety decision aid *p = .012. **p = .014.