Domestic abuse is a widespread problem in the United States and around the world. Violence at the hands of an intimate partner has affected more than 600 million women globally, according to World Health Organization estimates, and the problem has only grown during the pandemic.

Law enforcement officers have turned to various tools, from simple questionnaires to algorithms, as a way to prioritize the highest-risk crimes. While some research has recognized the potential benefits of the tools, it has also left experts in the domestic violence community with questions about the ethics and efficacy of relying on technology to predict future violent acts.

Matthew Bland, an associate professor in evidence based policing at the University of Cambridge, said there is broad acknowledgment that something needs to be done to improve services for domestic violence victims, but that how, or whether, to use technology as a solution is up for debate.

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