NCJ Number
226666
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2009 Pages: 67-76
Date Published
2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study tested the validity and practical usefulness of the Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM) checklist.
Abstract
Results showed that the validity was very good in terms of a strong correlation between the number of SAM factors and the degree of risk for stalking and violence assessed by police officers. Generally, the more SAM factors coded as present, the higher the risk coded by the police. SAM is not intended to be used as a strict actuarial risk instrument with fixed scores and exact cut-offs for various risk categories, but as a guide and a structured anchor when working with perpetrators and victims in the context of stalking. Therefore, the officers’ summary risk ratings in terms of low, medium, or high risk in this study were not calculated from any cut-off rules or scores. On the contrary, the officers were trained not to use any scores, but instead to use their own expertise and professional touch from having gone through the risk and vulnerability factors in the SAM. Data were collected from two participating Swedish police counties, one a suburb of Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, while the other is located in the south-east of Sweden and considered a medium-sized city. Two hundred thirty SAM assessments in 189 cases were performed by 41 different police officers during the study period. 5 tables and 14 references