Aim: The aim of the paper is to discuss how the implementation of a structured risk- and safety interview may be affected by professionals’ views on domestic violence and risks for children, risk assessment and children’s treatment needs, as well as previous knowledge and experiences of other assessment instruments/models.

Background: At present, there is ongoing work at a national level in Sweden to introduce evidence based methods in the field of domestic violence intervention. The paper draws on a recently completed research study in Sweden on the development of assessments of, and support interventions for, children subjected to violence, specifically the part of the project that aimed to implement a routine inquiry about parent reports on intimate partner violence and child abuse, and to try out a structured risk-/safety interview within social services and child and adolescent mental health units.

Methods: The empirical data consists of group interviews with professionals from 18 different units that participated in the project. Out of the 18 units, 17 are run by local governments, two of which are specialized domestic violence units, one a family assessment centre, three women’s refuges/safe houses, and 11 ordinary child welfare/social services. One of the units is a non-profit organization providing support for children exposed to domestic violence.

Findings: The professionals’ views on risk, risk assessment and children’s treatment needs when exposed to domestic violence are shaped by competing discourses on domestic violence, current in the Swedish national debate. There were some key differences in the way professionals working in the context of women’s refuges/safe houses and specialized domestic violence units managed to implement especially the structured risk-/safety interview, compared to the ordinary child welfare/social services. The extent to which professionals draw on a gendered discourse on domestic violence may account for some of these differences.

Conclusion: The findings illustrate the need for careful consideration of institutional, organisational, and cultural aspects when developing evidence based practice in the field of domestic violence, specifically how methods and models with support in research will fit – or not fit – with established professional traditions.