Lessons Learnt From Tragedies: Risk Assessment as a Step to Preventing Domestic Homicides Peter G' J

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Lessons Learnt From Tragedies Risk Assessment
as a Step to Preventing Domestic HomicidesPeter
G. Jaffe, Ph.D., C.Psych.Professor, University
of Western OntarioAcademic Director, Centre for
Research on Violence Against Women
ChildrenLondon CAS Conference London
Convention CentreNovember 2, 2006

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Purpose of DVDRC Office of the Chief
CoronerWe speak for the dead to protect the
living

• Interdisciplinary review all intimate partner
  homicides (no outstanding court proceedings)
• Identify systemic issues, gaps and shortcomings
• Identify trends, risk factors and patterns
• Increase understanding and awareness
• Promote harm reduction prevention

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Are DV Homicides Predictable Preventable?

• 22 out of 34 cases (65) had at least 7 risk
  markers
• Critical information held by family, work
  colleagues, front-line professionals
• Children are the victims in a number of ways
• Critical need to collaborate between child
  protection and VAW services as well as criminal
  and family court

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Assessing Lethality

• Separation is the most dangerous period for
  abused women
• Threats of homicide or suicide
• Fantasies of homicide or suicide
• Depression
• Access to weapons
• Obsessiveness about partner or family
• Centrality of battered partner to batterers view
  of life
• Drug or alcohol consumption
• Escalation of violent behaviour
• Hostage taking
  (Hart, 1990)

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Danger Assessment Risk Factors

• Partner used or threatened with a weapon (20.2)
• Partner threatened to kill woman (14.9)
• Partner tried to choke/strangle woman (9.9)
• Partner violently and constantly jealous (9.2)
• Woman forced to have sex when not wanted(7.6)
• Gun in the house (6.1)
• Partner controls most/all of womans
  activities(5.1)
• Drunk every day (or almost) or illicit drugs
  (4.1)
• 
  Campbell (2003)
• 
  

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Limits and Benefits of Risk Assessment
Limitations
Benefits

• Development of common language across systems
• Assists in the prioritization of limited
  resources
• Assists with safety planning strategies - may
  saves lives

• Retrospective rather than prospective studies
• Propensity towards false positives
• Risk is dynamic rather than static

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Can a perpetrator of domestic violence be a good
parent?
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National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
JudgesA Model State Code

• In every proceeding where there is at issue a
  dispute as to the custody of a child, a
  determination by a court that domestic violence
  or family violence has occurred raises a
  rebuttable presumption that it is detrimental to
  the child and not in the best interest of the
  child to be placed in sole custody, joint legal
  custody, or joint physical custody with the
  perpetrator of family violence (Sec. 401)

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Common Stages of Responses to DV in Child Custody
and Visitation Disputes

• It didnt happen
• It happened but it wasnt that bad
• It happened and it was bad, but is it relevant?
• It happened, it was bad, it is relevant but get
  on with your life

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Why is Domestic Violence Relevant in Custody
Disputes?

• Abuse Does Not End With Separation
• Overlap Between Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
• Childrens Exposure to an Inappropriate Role
  Model
• Undermining of Non-Abusive Parent
• New Relationships Potentially Violent
• Perpetual Litigation as Form of On-Going Control
• Extreme Cases - Homicides and Abductions

Jaffe, P.G. Lemon, N. Poisson, S.E. (2002)
Child Custody Disputes and Domestic Violence
Clinical and Legal Issues. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA
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Critical Issues in Coordination

• Access to services (barriers)
• Sequencing of services (court vs community)
• Interagency cooperation, communication, formal
  protocols
• Responsibility for determination of
• Level of need/services (assessment)
• Monitoring safety progress
• Accountability for service providers
• Overall community coordination of services

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Parenting Arrangements after
Violence
Common Couple Aggression / No child
maltreatment High Conflict
Nature, Frequency Severity of Family Violence
Abuse (Child or Adult Partner) Battering Terrori
sm/ Stalking
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Parenting Arrangements after
Violence
Accessible, appropriate interventions for
victims, perpetrators, and child witnesses
Resources Available
Services not accessible or inappropriate Systemic
barriers (e.g., poverty, language)
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Parenting Arrangements after
Violence
Longer term planning Adequate information to
evaluate safety of children and adults
Timing of Disclosure / Stage of Proceedings
Interim Hearings Family in crisis Red Flags
for Lethality Continue Exposure to Violence
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Parenting Arrangements after
Violence
Longer term planning Adequate information to
evaluate safety of children and adults
Accessible, appropriate interventions for
victims, perpetrators, and child witnesses
Common Couple Aggression / No child
maltreatment High Conflict
Timing of Disclosure / Stage of Proceedings
Nature, Frequency Severity of Family Violence
Resources Available
Interim Hearings Family in crisis Red Flags
for Lethality Continue Exposure to Violence
Abuse (Child or Adult Partner) Battering Terrori
sm/ Stalking
Services not accessible or inappropriate Systemic
barriers (e.g., poverty, language)
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The Gap between Theory Practice

• Training
• Standards
• Expectations
• Legislation
• Resources
• Genuine Collaboration (Common Risk Assessment)
• Community Case Leadership
• One Family One Judge?