Homicide Risk Screening
There are a number of factors that are conducive to a patient having a higher risk of committing assault and/or homicide. Possession of or ability to acquire firearms is a significant risk factor; in 2021, 81% of U.S. murders involved a firearm. If a patient has a high risk of acting on homicidal intent, filing an ERPO petition is one strategy for a clinician to employ to minimize homicide risk.
These clinical resources provide a number of guidelines, sample questions, and checklists when screening patients for access to firearms and homicide risk.
The SaFETy score is a 4-item score based on clinically feasible questionnaire items and is associated with firearm violence.
This chart, created by the Centers for Disease Control, assigns a patient’s degree of immediate danger to others based on a number of typical indicators of risk.
This article from the Clinical Social Work Association provides an outline for a risk assessment for homicide as well as suicide.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you are experiencing a crisis, please text or call 988.
The content of this website is not legal advice and is only intended for general informational purposes. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney.