Family Violence Risk Assessment - Identifying Coercive Control and Enhancing Safety Outcomes (September 2025)

Capability Levels: Established, Expert

The Family Violence: Coercive Control and Risk Assessment workshop is designed for evolving and experienced practitioners and social workers keen to extend their knowledge and skills in family violence work. The session will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of coercive control as a sustained pattern of abusive behaviour, emphasising key risk indicators, assessment tools, and intervention strategies.

The three-hour session will work through frameworks and tools like Biderman’s Chart of Coercion, Jane Monckton Smith’s Eight Stages of Homicide Risk, and common risk assessment tools. Participants will develop or refresh the skills to identify high-risk factors, conduct thorough risk assessments, and implement trauma-informed safety planning.

The interactive workshop will incorporate group discussions, case study analysis, and practical exercises to strengthen multi-agency collaboration, enhance professional engagement strategies, and address collusion dynamics.

By the end of the session, practitioners will leave with actionable insights to improve safety outcomes for victim-survivors and strengthen their risk assessment and intervention approaches.

Who should attend?

This training is designed for advanced practitioners and social workers working with family violence contexts, including social workers, case managers, counsellors, family violence practitioners, child protection workers, legal professionals, family law counsellors, healthcare providers, and police. It is particularly relevant for professionals involved in assessing and managing risk in family violence situations, providing direct support to victim-survivors, or working with individuals using coercive control.

The session is structured to enhance participants' ability to recognise, assess, and respond effectively to coercive control and associated risks.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify key risk indicators of coercive control and assess their impact on victim-survivors.
• Understand evidence-based risk assessment tools, including the CRARMF and MARAM frameworks, and their application in assessing family violence risks.
• Analyse coercive control dynamics using case study examples, including Biderman’s Chart of Coercion and Jane Monckton Smith’s Eight Stages of Homicide Risk.
• Apply trauma-informed safety planning techniques to support victim-survivors and tailor interventions to their specific needs.
• Implement multi-agency collaboration strategies to enhance information sharing and risk management in family violence responses.
• Evaluate professional engagement approaches, including active listening and strategies to mitigate collusion, to ensure accountability in working with perpetrators.

Event Structure:

Introduction (10 minutes)

Learning Session 1: Understand risk indicators and suicidal ideation (20 minutes)

• Activity 1: Case study + Group poll

Learning Session 2: Learn CRARMF and MARAM frameworks (45 minutes)

• Activity 2: Case Study Group Work

Learning Session 3: Develop trauma-informed safety plans (35 minutes)

• Activity 3: Safety planning exercise

Learning Session 4: Understand interagency roles (40 minutes)

• Activity 4: Group discussion

Learning Session 5: Address collusion and engage clients (20 minutes)

• Activity 5: Roleplay and discussion

Learning Session 6: Create collaborative action plans (10 minutes)

• Activity 6: Action Planning

Conclusion + Q&A (15 minutes)

This Workshop is not recorded, however, you will have access to materials and resources on AASW Online Learning for 4 weeks after the completion of the workshop.

AASW Credentials: Family Violence