Fear Management

1 hour | 1 CE

This on-demand professional training program on Fear Management is presented by Kelly A. Watt, PhD, in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Managing the fear experience by potential victims and targets of violence is an important and often overlooked task when conducting violence risk assessment and management. Fear experience by potential victims or targets may be problematic in two ways: It may be viewed as “too low” or “too high” by the professional or team conducting the violence risk assessment. The hope is that the level of fear will be “just right” and consistent with the scenarios of future violence that a professional or team think are plausible, useful, and consensual.

This program discusses the possible implications of victim fear that is viewed as “too low” or “too high,” both of which could lead to increased risk and decreased safety. For instance, some research suggests that up to 50% of women who were killed by their current or former intimate partner were not fearful of lethal violence. In addition, this program reviews factors that may be contributing to perceptions of fear as well as possible strategies that can be used to manage fear at both an individual and institutional level.