Introduction
A New Risk Assessment Model: Its importance & Relevance in the DV Sector
Since 2019, I’ve been developing a new kind of risk assessment and screening tool for covert coercive control.
Built from the lived experiences of victims and designed without compromise, this model fills a critical gap no one else has addressed:
How do you identify abuse that’s hidden in plain sight -- when the victim doesn’t know what’s happening, can’t name it, and lacks the language needed to access help?
It is my contention that covert coercive control is the dominant form of abuse, yet it remains invisible to most systems, professionals, and even victims themselves.
This is because it lacks the high visibility of the overt model currently embedded in every domestic violence risk assessment tool used in Australia — and internationally.
Built from the lived experiences of victims and designed without compromise, this model fills a critical gap no one else has addressed:
How do you identify abuse that’s hidden in plain sight -- when the victim doesn’t know what’s happening, can’t name it, and lacks the language needed to access help?
It is my contention that covert coercive control is the dominant form of abuse, yet it remains invisible to most systems, professionals, and even victims themselves.
This is because it lacks the high visibility of the overt model currently embedded in every domestic violence risk assessment tool used in Australia — and internationally.
Covert Coercive Control: the Dominant Model
Most abuse doesn’t begin with violence.
It begins with charm, doubt, subtle control, or emotional withdrawal. It builds over time — through silence, contradiction, and confusion — until the victim no longer trusts their own perception.
That’s why covert coercive control is, in my opinion, the most common and dangerous form of abuse: because it happens silently, invisibly, and over long periods of time.
It’s the control no one sees coming — and the kind most victims can’t name until long after it’s embedded.
It begins with charm, doubt, subtle control, or emotional withdrawal. It builds over time — through silence, contradiction, and confusion — until the victim no longer trusts their own perception.
That’s why covert coercive control is, in my opinion, the most common and dangerous form of abuse: because it happens silently, invisibly, and over long periods of time.
It’s the control no one sees coming — and the kind most victims can’t name until long after it’s embedded.
Innovative and Original
When you see victim after victim falling through multiple system wide crack, something is wrong with how victims are assessed, how their risk is assessed, and how their inability to identify and quantify their abuse can lead to homelessness, destitution, even death.
The problem is that current risk assessments are designed to capture visible harm — threats, injuries, criminal acts.
But covert control leaves no bruises. It leaves self-doubt, compliance, hypervigilance.
And without a model built specifically to recognise those invisible dynamics, victims are forced to prove something they can’t even explain.
The problem is that current risk assessments are designed to capture visible harm — threats, injuries, criminal acts.
But covert control leaves no bruises. It leaves self-doubt, compliance, hypervigilance.
And without a model built specifically to recognise those invisible dynamics, victims are forced to prove something they can’t even explain.
I'm determined to change that.
If you're ready for something new, read on.
If you're ready for something new, read on.
VisionTo create a survivor-informed model that exposes and names covert coercive control — a form of abuse that current systems fail to recognise.
MissionA future where victims are believed without needing visible wounds.
Where risk is assessed by what isn’t said as much as what is. |
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My Intention
This model will never be diluted, shortened, or shaped to fit government
tick-boxes. It will reflect the truth, even when it’s hard to face.
tick-boxes. It will reflect the truth, even when it’s hard to face.
This is not a derivative tool.
This is an origin model.
And it will stay that way.
How This New Model Works
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This tool uses 158 paired questions, each designed to surface the layered, often conflicting realities of covert abuse.
Each question pair invites the person to reflect on two angles of the same dynamic — not as a checklist, but as a story in fragments, drawing on my counselling and evidentiary skills, and the 'whole of story' technique when interviewing sexual assault victims. |
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It asks:
This paired structure helps victims who don’t identify with “traditional” abuse recognise something deeper — patterns of behaviour that confuse, silence, or destabilise them over time.
Victims of covert abuse can find themselves locked out of essential supports because they invariably are still caught up in the self-doubt and confusion about what they experienced, wondering whether what they've lived with even counts as abuse.
And too often, those who are meant to be the qualified frontline workers victims first come into contact with, fail to hear or understand the unspoken, or hesitancy of the descriptions of trauma and abuse if it doesn't fit into the narrow confines of the overt risk indicators such as those found in the MARAM.
- What happened?
- What happened next?
- And what meaning were you expected to assign to it?
This paired structure helps victims who don’t identify with “traditional” abuse recognise something deeper — patterns of behaviour that confuse, silence, or destabilise them over time.
Victims of covert abuse can find themselves locked out of essential supports because they invariably are still caught up in the self-doubt and confusion about what they experienced, wondering whether what they've lived with even counts as abuse.
And too often, those who are meant to be the qualified frontline workers victims first come into contact with, fail to hear or understand the unspoken, or hesitancy of the descriptions of trauma and abuse if it doesn't fit into the narrow confines of the overt risk indicators such as those found in the MARAM.
An Innovative Paired A & B Question Model
How it works
Each A & B prompt is scored on a 0–5 scale, based on how often the experience has occurred:
You don’t need to remember each number — the score can be instinctive. It’s a way to reflect on frequency, intensity, and pattern over time.
If you’re unsure, lean toward trusting your instincts. This is about recognising harm — not proving it.
It’s okay to give the benefit of the doubt to yourself -- not the abuser.
- 0 – Never
- 1 – Rarely
- 2 – Sometimes
- 3 – Often
- 4 – Very Often
- 5 – Always
You don’t need to remember each number — the score can be instinctive. It’s a way to reflect on frequency, intensity, and pattern over time.
If you’re unsure, lean toward trusting your instincts. This is about recognising harm — not proving it.
It’s okay to give the benefit of the doubt to yourself -- not the abuser.
The Three Domains
These domains don’t just diagnose risk.
They give language to what has often felt unnameable. They structure trauma into clarity — not for clinical distancing, but for recognition and re-empowerment. |
Every question pair is categorised across three dimensions:
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Covert Abuse Hides in Plain Sight
Not all abuse leaves bruises. Not all victims know they’re victims. Not all systems are designed to see the truth. |
You’re Invited
We’re calling on:
Your insight matters. Your story matters.
And this model will only get stronger when it’s tested by those who know the truth.
- Survivors with personal experience of covert abuse
- Practitioners working in domestic violence, family law, mental health, and advocacy
- Legal professionals who’ve seen coercive control misrepresented in courtrooms
- Anyone who has had to explain the unexplainable
Your insight matters. Your story matters.
And this model will only get stronger when it’s tested by those who know the truth.
Help Us Test It. Expand It. Ground It in Reality.
The covert model was never supposed to exist.
That’s exactly why we’re building it.
The covert model was never supposed to exist.
That’s exactly why we’re building it.
Why Your Participation Matters
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Why This Matters
Conventional risk assessments fail those experiencing covert coercive control — the manipulation, gaslighting, surveillance, and psychological destabilisation that dismantles identity from the inside out. These forms of abuse are insidious. They are non-obvious, often invisible. And until now, they’ve been structurally unmeasurable. |
This isn’t just a tool — it’s a movement.
The more real-world responses we receive, the more we can:
Whether you’ve lived it, witnessed it, or supported others through it — your experience can help make invisible abuse visible. |
Informed Consent Information For Participants
Want to Participate?
Confirm your consent to participate by clicking on the "I've read the informed consent" button below.
When you click the button to confirm your consent, the 158 paired risk assessment tool will automatically download in MS Word format ready to complete. It's ready to go, formatted in a simple table format you can answer all in one go, or as you feel comfortable.
If you don't automatically see a download start, your browser may be blocking the download. Check your browser settings, allow downloads from this website, and check that your browser isn't blocking pop-ups.
There is no time limit, no artificial constraints. Answer at your own pace.
If you need assistance, reach out to Lisa and she will guide you through it, or reach out to a support person.
Your safety is paramount; there's no rush. This is not a quick process, and your time and effort are appreciated.
You might feel unsure about completing this tool — especially if you're still wondering whether what you've lived even counts as abuse. That’s okay. You don’t need to know the answer right now. Just answering the questions can help bring clarity.
If you don't automatically see a download start, your browser may be blocking the download. Check your browser settings, allow downloads from this website, and check that your browser isn't blocking pop-ups.
There is no time limit, no artificial constraints. Answer at your own pace.
If you need assistance, reach out to Lisa and she will guide you through it, or reach out to a support person.
Your safety is paramount; there's no rush. This is not a quick process, and your time and effort are appreciated.
You might feel unsure about completing this tool — especially if you're still wondering whether what you've lived even counts as abuse. That’s okay. You don’t need to know the answer right now. Just answering the questions can help bring clarity.
What Happens After You Complete It?
Once you’ve completed the questions and added your scores, you can:
All anonymous uploads are sent directly to Lisa Testart and stored securely.
No identifying metadata is collected. No responses are traced.
- ✅ Download and keep your copy for personal insight
- ✅ Share it with a support person, therapist, legal advocate, or family member
- ✅ Upload it anonymously (if you wish) to contribute to ongoing research and development of this model; or
- ✅ Email it to Lisa directly if anonymity is not an issue
All anonymous uploads are sent directly to Lisa Testart and stored securely.
No identifying metadata is collected. No responses are traced.
Want to upload your finished assessment anonymously?
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No Gatekeeping. No Signups. No Cost. Ever.
This tool is — and always will be — free*.
You don’t need to create an account, share your name, or ask permission.
You can use it quietly, privately, with support, or in your own time.
Because this isn’t about collecting data for research or academic purposes — it’s about restoring language, power, and visibility to the people who’ve had it taken from them.
And that starts by naming what was never supposed to be hidden in the first place.
*There will be costs for Organisational and/or Practitioner training to enable the tool to be properly implemented and used, and the copyright remains with Lisa Testart.
You can use it quietly, privately, with support, or in your own time.
Because this isn’t about collecting data for research or academic purposes — it’s about restoring language, power, and visibility to the people who’ve had it taken from them.
And that starts by naming what was never supposed to be hidden in the first place.
*There will be costs for Organisational and/or Practitioner training to enable the tool to be properly implemented and used, and the copyright remains with Lisa Testart.
This Is Just the Beginning
This model is still growing — and it’s built to evolve through real-world use by people who’ve lived it, witnessed it, or supported others through it.
If you have feedback, suggestions, or lived-experience insights that could make the tool stronger, I want to hear from you.
Reach out through the contact/feedback form →
If you have feedback, suggestions, or lived-experience insights that could make the tool stronger, I want to hear from you.
Reach out through the contact/feedback form →
Your voice matters.
And this is where we begin to hear it.
And this is where we begin to hear it.
🐇 About Lisa Testart
Lisa Testart is a family law lay consultant at www.witnesspreparation.au, specialist trauma strategist, and founder of the White Rabbit Institute of Interdimensional Echo Processing (WRIEP). Known for her no-prisoners approach to legal system abuse, Lisa created Project Smackdown to expose fraud using irony, intelligence, and a little help from her cat.
Lisa is the Lead Emotional Cartographer at the White Rabbit Institute of Interdimensional Echo Processing (WRIEP) Gippsland Division, Department of Sub-Conscious Navigation and Feline Oversight | Integrity Advocate | Occasional Cat Interpreter 🐾
Lisa Testart is a family law lay consultant at www.witnesspreparation.au, specialist trauma strategist, and founder of the White Rabbit Institute of Interdimensional Echo Processing (WRIEP). Known for her no-prisoners approach to legal system abuse, Lisa created Project Smackdown to expose fraud using irony, intelligence, and a little help from her cat.
Lisa is the Lead Emotional Cartographer at the White Rabbit Institute of Interdimensional Echo Processing (WRIEP) Gippsland Division, Department of Sub-Conscious Navigation and Feline Oversight | Integrity Advocate | Occasional Cat Interpreter 🐾