Domestic Violence Service Providers’ Perceptions of Safety Planning: a Focus Group Study

Abstract

Although safety planning is a widespread practice with clients impacted by domestic violence, the research on it is limited. In this article, we present a review of existing literature describing practices and research in order to understand the gaps in the field’s current understanding of safety planning practices. Next, we describe the methodology, findings, and implications of a focus group study that aimed to identify domestic violence service providers’ perspectives toward safety planning. The major themes discussed include safety risks for domestic violence victims; safety planning within the community context; and agency policies, procedures, and forms related to safety planning.