Domestic Violence Evaluations

Domestic Violence (DV) evaluations are not the same as mental health evaluations, because a DV evaluation is forensic in nature. It does not offer up a diagnosis about mental health. It’s goal is to determine whether a domestic violence situation exists, and if so, to evaluate whether the accused is amenable to treatment.

Therefore, DV evaluations are not designed to determine innocence or guilt, and most definitely not to evaluate someone’s mental health status.

A Behavior or Power Struggle

It’s helpful to understand that domestic violence is a behavior. It’s something people do instead of healthy conflict resolution. Alternatively, it’s a means to maintain an unequal power and control differential in an intimate partner relationship.

When Is a DV Evaluation Needed?

Sometimes the criminal court will mandate a person be evaluated, and then expect compliance to the recommendations of the evaluation. In other courts, such as the family court, an evaluation may be ordered to assess risk in a home in which domestic violence has been reported and children are present.

Other DV evaluations are used to ascertain whether a “No Contact Order” should be modified or lifted, and in these cases, all parties (victim, perpetrator, and children) will be interviewed to arrive at a conclusion that defines the state of the home. This enables the court to make a more informed decision about the modifications and lifting of such orders of protection.