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SAVINGLIVES:THEREDFLAGSTHATTELLUSWHENADOMESTICVIOLENCEVICTIMISLIKELYTOBEKILLEDPRESENTERS:BRANDIRIES,RIES LAWGROUP,P.C.,ANDHILLYMCGAHAN,SAFEHARBOR

OBJECTIVES:

•Understandingandidentifyingriskfactorsforvictimsofdomesticviolence

•Assessingavictim’srisk

•Afterassessment,managementofrisktomaximizesafetyforvictim

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WHYUSERISKASSESSMENTS?

• Infatalityreviewsofdomesticviolencehomicides,criminaljusticeandsocialservicepersonnelaskthemselves,“Couldwehaveknown?Whatwerethesigns?”• Inhindsight,thereusuallyweresigns.Often,therewasafailuretoreadthesignsortoactonthem.

RISKASSESSMENTS• TODAYWEWILLDISCUSS:

• (1)THEDANGERASSESSMENT—TOOLFORATTORNEYS,ADVOCATES,SOCIALSERVICESPROVIDERS

• DevelopedbyJacquelynCampbell,PhD,RN,FAANatJohnsHopkinsSchoolofNursing—ThistrainingisbasedonthetrainingandinformationprovidedbyJacquelynCampbellonthedangerassessment.

• PURPOSEOFASSESSMENT:DETERMINELIKELIHOODOFANABUSEDWOMAN BEINGKILLEDBYHERPARTNER

• (2)THELETHALITYSCREEN—TOOLFORLAWENFORCEMENT

• DevelopedbytheMarylandNetworkAgainstDomesticViolence,usingthefindingsfromDr.JacquelynCampbell’sstudiesandherDangerAssessment.

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• CALENDAR:• Measuresseverityandfrequencyofbattering

overpastyear

• Victimmarksthecalendarontheapproximatedayswhenphysicallyabusiveincidentsoccurred

• Victimranksseverityofphysicallyabusiveincidentsonscaleof1to5:• 1=pushing,slapping,noinjuryorlastingpain• 5=useofweapon,woundsfromweapon

• 20‐ITEMINSTRUMENT:• Victimprovidesyesornoresponsetotherisk

factorsfoundtobeconnectedtointimatepartnerhomicide

DANGERASSESSMENT

RISKASSESSMENTS• GOAL:HOMICIDEPREVENTION

• WHOCANUSEASSESSMENTS:• Crimevictimadvocatesforsafetyplanningandto

determineeligibilityforservices

• Criminaljusticesystemforpresentencingphaseandcanbeusedtodrawtheprosecutor’sattentiontorisksforvictim(usefulforreleaseconditions,bond,etc.)

• Lawenforcementforreferraltoservicesforvictim,enforcementoforderofprotection,nocontactorders,andremovalofweapons(LAP)

• Civilattorneysforidentificationofrisksandremediesneededforclient/childrentostaysafe

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STATISTICSWOMENMURDEREDBYINTIMATEPARTNER• OfallwomenkilledintheUnitedStateseachyear,40‐54%ofwomenwerekilledbyanintimatepartner

• Womenarekilledbyanintimatepartner9xmoreoftenthanbyastranger

• 2/3ofwomenkilledbyanintimatepartnerhavebeenphysicallyabusedbythatpartnerpriortothemurder.

• 40‐47%ofwomenmurderedbyintimatepartnerwereseenbyahealthcareproviderpriortothemurderoccurring

• Forevery1womankilledbyanintimatepartner,thereare8‐9attemptedmurders

MENMURDEREDBYINTIMATEPARTNER• OfallmenkilledintheUnitedStateseachyear,5‐8%ofmenarekilledbyanintimatepartner

• Incaseswherethefemalepartnerkillsthemalepartner,75%ofcasesincludedpriordomesticviolenceperpetratedbymalepartneragainstfemalepartnerpriortothedeath

STATISTICSMURDER‐SUICIDE(FAMILICIDE)

• Womenaremorelikelythanmentobekilledbyintimatepartnerwhocommitsmurderthencommitssuicide

• 1/3ofmaleperpetratorswhokilltheirintimatepartnerthencommitsuicide

• Womenveryrarelykillthemselvesafterkillingtheirintimatepartner

CHILDREN

• Achildiskilledin19%ofintimatepartnerhomicides

• In70%ofintimatepartnerhomicidesoccurringwhereachildlived,thechildwitnessedthemurderorwasthefirsttofindthevictim’sbody

• 3%ofhomicidesoccurredwhilethewomanwaspregnant

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CAUSEOFDEATH

Method

Guns Strangulation Other

*NationalDeathReportingSystem

54%

10.9%

VICTIM’SGENDERFAMILICIDEV.HOMICIDE

Gender

Female Male

54%10.9%

77%33%

Murder Murder‐Suicide

68%32%

FINDINGSFROMDR.CAMPBELL’S FEMINICIDERISKSTUDY:• 50%offemalemurdervictimsdidnotbelievetheirintimatepartnerwouldkillthem.

• SeparationRisk:Victimsaremostatriskofhomicideduringfirstthreemonthsafterseparationfromabuseand entirefirstyearafterseparation

• Incasesoffeminicide:• 70%involvedpriorphysicalabuse• 66%involvedincreaseinfrequencyofabuse

• 62%involvedincreaseinseverityofabuse• 87%involvedstalking• 58%involvednopriorphysicalabusebutstalking

DEMOGRAPHICSOFMURDERER:

• Inmanycases,themurdererwasunemployedatthetimeofthemurder.

• Unemploymentoftheperpetratorisariskfactor

• Raceisnotariskfactor

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RISKFACTORSFORFEMINICIDE• Forcedsex

• Stalking

• Perpetratorcontrollingallofthevictim’sbehavior

• Abuseduringpregnancy

• Jealousy(“ifIcan’thaveyou,noonecan…”)

• Perpetratorthreatensorhasattemptedsuicide

• Violencetowardsvictim’schildren

• Perpetratorownsagun:• 74%ofmenwhokilledtheirpartnerownedagun

• 53%ofmenwhoattemptedtokilltheirpartnerownedagun

• 1/3ofmenwhokilledpartnerwithagunwereprohibitedfromowningagun

• Increaseinfrequencyand/orseverityofphysicalviolence

• Strangulation

• Threatstokill(verbal,text,email,etc.)

• Victimbelievesperpetratoriscapableofkillingher

RISKFACTORSFORFAMILICIDE

• Sameriskfactorsasforfeminicide

• PLUS:

• Increasedthreatstokill

• Perpetratormorelikelytobewhite

• Perpetratormorelikelytobeunemployed:• Maynotbechronicunemployment

• Unemploymentattimeofseparationfromthevictim

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PROTECTIVEFACTORS

•Coupleneverlivedtogether

•Priorarrestfordomesticviolencewithconsequencesfortheperpetrator

DANGERASSESSMENT

https://www.dangerassessment.org/uploads/pdf/DAEnglish2010.pdf

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YOUHAVEDONETHEASSESSMENT,NOWWHAT?

• Alwaystellthevictimoftheassessmentresults/dangerlevel• Alwaysgivethevictimchoices—callforhelpfromothersifvictimconsentsandprovidesrelease

• Ifnon‐weightedscore,10+yesresponses=highrisk• Ifweightedscore,theonlinecalculatorwilltellyouthescore:

• Ifvariabledangerlevelisindicated=safetyplan• Ifincreased/severedangerlevelisindicated=safetyplan;consultwithotherprofessionals.• Ifcriminalcaseispending:informprosecutorand/orjudgeofdangerlevel

• Ifhighestdangerlevelisindicated=safetyplan;consultwithotherprofessionals.Notifyprosecutorand/orjudge—highestbailonlyandhighestlevelofsupervision.

LETHALITYASSESSMENTPROGRAM• Collaborationbetweenpoliceandsocialserviceprovidersconsistingoftwosteps:

• (1)Apoliceofficerrespondingtothesceneofadomesticviolenceincidentusesabrief11‐itemriskassessment(theLethalityScreen)toidentifyvictimsathighriskofhomicide.

• (2)WomenthatscreeninashighriskbasedontheLethalityScreenareputinimmediatetelephonecontactwithacollaboratingsocialserviceproviderwhoprovidesthemwithadvocacy,safetyplanningandreferralforservices.

• Specifically,itwashypothesizedthattheLAPwould:

• (1)decreaseratesofrepeat,severe,lethalandnearlethalviolenceand

• (2)increaseratesofemergencysafetyplanningandhelpseeking.

• TheLAPwasdevelopedbytheMarylandNetworkAgainstDomesticViolence(MNADV)andistheirintellectualproperty—jurisdictionsthatwishtoimplementtheLAPcanapplytobetraineddirectlybytheMNADV.

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WHATMAKESACOMMUNITYREADYFORTHELAP?

• BothlawenforcementagencyanddomesticviolenceserviceprovidermustunderstandthepurposeoftheLAP—toreducefatalitiesandnear‐fatalitiesbyidentifyinghigh‐dangervictims,informingthemoftheseriousnessoftheirsituation,andconnectingthemtoservices.

• TheprimarygoaloftheLAPisnot tomakecourtcaseseasierortogetmorevictimsintoshelter(thosethesemaybesideeffects).

• Communitymusthavetheresourcesavailabletorespondtoincreaseddemandforservices.

• Musthave24‐hourhotlinethatofficerscancallfromscene.

• Forlawenforcementagencies,officersmustbewillingtomakethecallfromaDVsceneeverytimeahigh‐dangervictimisidentified(whichmakesrespondingtakelonger).

• LEagencyandDVSPmustbewillingtocommittosustainingtheLAP,andtonourishingthepartnership.TheLAPworksbestwhenthereisgoodcommunication,collaboration,andtrustbetweenagencies(andtheLAPstrengthensthesebonds).

TIPS

• Victimscantellusthefacts.Listentovictims.Themoreinformationwecangetfromvictims,thebetter.

• Donotrelyoninformationfromperpetratorstoconductadangerassessment.Perpetratorsdenyandminimizeabuse.

• Thedangerlevelsarenot100%accurate—donotrelysolelyontheassessmentwhendoingsafetyplanningwiththevictim.Useyourinstinctsanddiscretioninadditiontotheassessment.

• Providevictimwithinformationonresources,includingsafeshelteroptions.

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WECANDOBETTER(ALOTBETTER)

83%ofcasesoffeminicide wereinsystemalready—eitherthevictimhadsoughtservicessomewhere(inmostcases,itwasmedicalcare)ortheperpetratorhadcontactwiththesystem.

ThisisHowaDomesticViolenceVictimFallsThroughtheCracks:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/16/domestic‐violence_n_5474177.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

ARaisedHand:CanaNewApproachCurbDomesticViolence:http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/22/a‐raised‐hand

BRANDIRIESRIES LAWGROUP,P.C.

P.O. BOX8364MISSOULA,MONTANA 59807

(406)541‐4141BRANDI@RIESLAWGROUPPC.COM

HILLYMCGAHANSAFEHARBORP.O.BOX1773

POLSON,MT59860HILLY@SAFEHARBORMT.ORG

(406)382‐0480