1. Integration of Services Training Series
Domestic Violence
Integration of Services Training Series 1

2. Themes for Today
Our focus is on achieving child safety, permanency, and well-being by:
Supporting survivors to keep themselves and their children safe.
Holding batterers accountable for their actions.
Assisting all family members in recovery.

3. Objectives Summarize dynamics and common impacts on family members.
Review approaches to screening.
Identify interventions that assist survivors in providing safety for themselves and children.
Identify and develop strategies to partner with the survivor and community to hold batterers accountable.

4. Agenda
Power and Control 1 hr
Dynamics and Impacts 2 hrs.
Screening hrs.
Interventions hr

5. Slide Show 1

6. Florida Criminal Definition of DV
"Domestic violence" means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.
- Ch. 741 F.S.

7. Definition of Family or Household Member
"Family or household member" means spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and persons who are parents of a child in common regardless of whether they have been married. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing or have in the past resided together in the same single dwelling unit.
- Ch.741 F.S.

8. Family Violence Threatens Child
Uses family or household member definition from criminal statute.
Builds on documentation from interviewing and observations.
Current and past incidents
Information from children, caregivers, other witnesses, and/or persons who know the family well
Documentation of a pattern of domestic violence related incidents.
- DCF Allegation Matrix

9. Family Centered Practice Model

10. Role of Investigator/DCM
IMPRESS upon the family the importance of child and family safety.
EDUCATE the family about the danger of witnessing and experiencing domestic violence.
ENGAGE with survivor and community partners to increase:
Self-esteem and self-efficacy
Knowledge of dynamics and resources
Ability to protect self and child(ren)

11. Role of Investigator/DCM
ASSIST survivor with strengthening/building formal and informal partnerships for achieving safety and well-being.
MOBILIZE child welfare system resources to support safety planning and recovery.
CREATE a context for change for the batterer.

12. Objectives for Session 2: Dynamics and Impacts
Summarize common impacts of DV on family members and family dynamics.
Summarize survivor efforts to protect the children.
Work with all family members in a manner that expresses empathy and hope for achieving mutually agreed upon goals.

13. Characteristics of a Batterer
A “batterer” is someone who has a consistent pattern of coercive control of an intimate partner. Coercive control includes different forms of:
Psychological abuse
Intimidation
An inflated sense of self-entitlement
Physical or sexual abuse

14. The Perception that Abuse and Control are Justified
Behaviors to control increase over time.
The batterer perceives his controlling behavior as justified and therefore sees his partner’s reluctance to be controlled as evidence of her mental instability, volatility, or desire to control him.
- Bancroft and Silverman, 2002

15. Characteristics that are common…
The overarching attitudinal characteristic is entitlement:
The belief that one has special rights and privileges without accompanying reciprocal responsibilities.
The belief that violence can be justified against a partner.
The belief that family life should center around the meeting of his needs.

16. What Entitlement Looks Like…
Entitlement in the context of “battering” is evident through:
Demands for physical and emotional caretaking.
The perception that when needs or wants are not met, the batterer has been wronged.
The tendency to see oneself as being provoked to violence.

17. Types of Entitlement High demand for service: High level of control:
Insistence that the batterer’s needs come first and must be met.
High level of control:
Insistence on controlling even the most mundane actions, decisions, expressions, behaviors, and relationships of the partner.

18. Additional Characteristics
Confusion of Love and Abuse:
“My violence is a result of the intensity of my love for my partner. If I didn’t feel so deeply, I would not get like that.”
Externalization of Responsibility:
“It’s not my fault.”
Blaming the violence on stress, substance abuse, issues from childhood, intolerable emotional state

19. Additional Characteristics
Serial Battering:
Batterers tend to abuse more than one woman over the course of their adult relationships.

20. Typology of Batterers
50% of batteres in research samples inflict low levels of violence and psychological abuse.
Batterers with strong pro-social connections (employment, community involvement) and without other criminal tendencies are thought to have the best prospects for achieving long-term behavior change.

21. Anti-social or Hyper-violent Batterers
Have persistent behavioral problems
Are generally violent, have criminal records that cite multiple violent incidents
Are more prone to engage in severe or threatening dominance struggles with authority figures
In exceptional circumstances this can result in violence towards child welfare personnel or law enforcement

22. Myth-Busting Domestic violence and substance abuse:
Most incidents occur without the use of alcohol.
Roughly 80% of men who abuse alcohol do not beat their partners.
Domestic violence and mental health problems:
Men who are abusive do not have substantially higher rates of psychopathology than men who do not abuse.
There is no particular personality disorder or mental illness diagnosis shown consistently by men who abuse.

23. Myth-Busting, continued
Men who abuse their partners have poor impulse control:
Abusive patterns reveal behaviors that require forethought. “Battering” is seen as a pattern of behaviors, rather than impulsive reactions.
Further evidence of this can be seen in the rate at which men who abuse can calm themselves when the police arrive.

24. Myth Busting, Continued
“I think I could tell if he was an batterer….”
Many batterers use systems such as the juvenile and probate courts and the child protection system to punish battered women through struggles for custody.
Batterers are able to perform well under formal observation.

25. The Range of Parenting Behaviors of Batterers who engage in DV
Children can be made into “accomplices”, siding against the survivor.
Batterers sometimes encourage children to disrespect their mothers (psychological abuse) or to assault them (physical abuse).
Children are used to manipulate the survivor, reveal safety plans or whereabouts, or to spy on the survivor.
Child visitation can be used to obtain access to mothers.

26. The Range of Parenting Behaviors of Batterers who engage in DV
Batterers tend to vacillate between being authoritarian and rigid to maintain control with an intolerance for resistance or argument and
Permissive or neglectful, either to curry favor with children or because of pre-occupation with self.
Children are at risk of abuse: 50% of men who regularly abuse their partners also physically abuse their children.

27. Increased physical abuse and murder rates during pregnancy.
Batterers who engage in DV actively work to prevent Partners from Effective Parenting
Increased physical abuse and murder rates during pregnancy.
Direct interference:
Keeping the mother from comforting or picking up the child(ren)
Contradiction and undermining the mother’s attempts at limit setting and discipline
Indirect Interference and Undermining:
Harsh and frequent criticism of the survivor’s parenting
Directing an older child to be in charge of parenting, implying that the survivor is incapable

28. Impact of Domestic Violence on Survivors
Slide show 2

29. - Adapted from L. Walker, The Battered Women’s Syndrome
Stages of Change: Survivors Living with DV
Denial: ‘It was an accident, it didn’t happen’
Guilt: ‘There is a problem, but I deserve it.’
Enlightenment: ‘I am not responsible, and I don’t deserve this, but I want to work things out.’
Recovery: ‘This is not going to change. I need to make a new life’.
- Adapted from L. Walker, The Battered Women’s Syndrome

30. Power and Control Video

31. Reasons Why She Stays…* Susan G McGee.
*First, that is the wrong question…
*Why does the batterer batter? Why does this continue in our society?
Separation violence.
Psychological terror and brainwashing (Stockholm Syndrome)
For the children: custody or harm.
Isolation from support.
Some still love the batterer.

32. Reasons She Stays, continued
They believe counseling will help.
Cannot get protection or services.
Legal System failings.
Historically disempowered.
Cultural, moral, and religious values.

33. Last, but not Least
They fear their children will be killed.

34. Impact of DV on Children
Slide Show 3

35. Impact of DV on Children
Daughters of batterers are 6.5 times more likely than other girls to be the victims of incest.
63% of boys between the ages of 11 and 20 years of age, who commit murder, commit murder against their mother’s batterer.
Sons of batterers are 1,000 times more likely to commit domestic violence themselves.

36. Objectives for Session 3: Screening
Assessing dangerousness.
Gathering collateral information.
Interviewing family members.

37. Initial In-Home Safety Assessment
The parent, caregiver or household member(s) have a history of violence or display current violent behaviors (e.g. battery, domestic violence, intimidation) AND the child may be in danger of harm as a result.
There is a pattern of continuing, escalating and/or increasing frequency of incidents, either reported or unreported (e.g. child discloses ongoing abuse or chronic in-home violence for which no abuse or law enforcement reports were made).

38. Relationships/Domestic Violence Factors
Family Assessment
Emerging Dangers
Are danger-related risk dynamics (substance abuse, violence, domestic violence…) escalating in intensity or frequency?
Relationships/Domestic Violence Factors
Has a history free of being a victim of domestic abuse
Has a history free of perpetrating domestic abuse
Has a history free of physical, and/or emotional aggression towards others
Balance of power with other household members does not impact ability to protect a child

39. Ongoing Dangerousness Assessment
The demonstrated capacity to continue inflicting severe violence.
Ongoing Dangerousness Assessment

40. Assessing Dangerousness

41. Factors that predict continuing violence
Violent crimes and previous violations of protection orders.
Motor vehicle violations involving alcohol intoxication/arrests due to substance abuse.
Severe violence with spouses or children.
Having attended a BIP that was not followed up on by cessation of violence.
History of suicidality or of suicidal ideation.

42. Gathering Information

43. Family Centered Approach
Increase
Recognition of family strengths
Reflection on actions
Sense of responsibility
Positive change
Reduce
Denial
Minimization

44. Introduction to Interviewing Family Members
Assume that any family may be experiencing domestic violence, no matter how individuals present or seem to you.
Similar rates of domestic violence occur in all types of locations, cities, suburbs, and rural areas.
Women of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence with an intimate partner.
- Bureau of Justice, 1995

45. Introduction to Interviewing, continued
Interview each family member separately, even if you begin with a joint interview.
Explain that your role is to assist parents in attaining safety within the family.
Routinely give information that will connect survivors to local DV Services.
Make this a part of your regular practice with all parents.

46. The Family Story Process
Engage: Build a bridge of strengths.
Appreciate and Align: Learn the family vision and try to find common ground for partnering.
Develop Discrepancy: Find ways that the individual already wants or has tried to change and build on it.
Support Efficacy: Use strengths to give people hope.

47. Interviewing batterers
Do not reveal information that would endanger the survivor.
Start with the batterer’s wishes for the family and for his relationships, building on strengths.
Continuously assess your own safety during the interview.

48. Sample Questions to Batterers
When do you think the family has ‘worked’ the best?
If you could magically make the family situation better, what would you change?
What are some changes you would like to see in others in the family?
What are some changes you have considered making?
What, if anything, have you already tried?

49. “But what if he tries to use excuses like a bad childhood?”
Seeing the link between trauma and battering does not excuse the behavior, but may be a basis for treatment to begin.
Choosing competent providers who understand trauma and domestic violence will keep the batterer accountable clinically.
Violence and abuse often beget violence and abuse. That’s why the cycle must end.

50. Interviewing Survivors, Assumptions
The survivor is focused on survival and safety, too.
The survivor has considered and likely attempted to leave in the past, and her/his actions are based on what she thinks is realistic and safest.
There’s probably more violence than what we know.
The survivor is the best hope for children in terms of maintaining a strong relationship while getting to safety.

51. Interviewing Survivors, continued
How it looks to the outside:
“She is choosing her man over her children.”
How it looks to the survivor:
“I am making sacrifices to keep my family together and keep my children as safe from harm as I am capable.”

52. Bear in Mind…
As afraid as the survivor may be of losing her children, she may be more concerned that she will be killed, leaving her children unprotected.
We cannot know how many ways the batterer has threatened and brainwashed the survivor and children.
Sarah, this slide has too much, but maybe if each bullet clicks in and then out, so only one is on the screen at once, it would be okay. 52 52

53. Bear in Mind…
It is inappropriate to pressure or threaten abused women into providing information. By using coercion, the interviewer is unwittingly competing with the batterer, whose capacity to coerce is greater.
Good case practice involves acceptance of the victim’s limits on disclosure and reliance on information from collateral sources.

54. Sample Questions to Survivors:
When do you think the family has ‘worked’ the best?
If you could magically make the family situation better, what would you change?
What are some changes you would like to see in others in the family?
What are some changes you have considered making?
What, if anything, have you already tried?

55. Sample Questions for Survivors, Continued
What are some of the ways you have tried to keep your children safe?
When you have felt the most able to keep yourself and your children safe, what was happening?
When do you think your children would say they feel most safe? How can you increase their sense of safety?
What do you think it would take to make things better?
What, if anything, do you think others can do to help you get there?

56. Questions that can be asked of children
What has your (mother/father) done to make you feel safe in your home?
What are some of the things that give you a warning feeling that (the batterer) is going to begin to hurt someone?
If I was watching a movie of what happened (one incident, usually), what would I see?
How would your (mother/father) describe what happens in your home when things get difficult?

57. Objectives for Session 4: Interventions
Work in the context of a coordinated community response.
Create effective safety and recovery plans.

58. Coordinated Community Response
Create effective partnerships:
Survivor
Batterer
PI/DCM/CWLS
Law Enforcement
Probation/Parole
DV Advocates
Substance Abuse Professional(s)
Mental Health Professional(s)
School/Day Care

59. Safety and Recovery Planning
Partnerships result in plans that may include:
Strategies for holding batterer accountable
Steps for achieving increased safety and control regardless of survivor decisions to stay or leave
Recovery supports for survivors and children
Plans may also include:
Legal and other options for removal of batterer
Options for placement of children
Visits with non-offending parent and siblings
Conditions needed for children’s visits with batterer
Substance abuse interventions

60. What Works? Services for Batterers
The most effective time for intervention with batterers is between arrest and adjudication.
Individuals who have been arrested for DV re-offend at a rate of 67% between arrest and adjudication.
That rate goes down to 34% for those who enter or participate in treatment between arrest and adjudication.

61. Service Options for Batterers
Batterer Intervention Program (BIP)
most common intervention
Substance abuse treatment programs.
Parenting programs.
Individual counseling.

62. Batterer Intervention Program (BIP)
Batterer Intervention Programs are
Designed for men who have been arrested or would be arrested if known, for DV.
Include educational classes and/or treatment groups.
May also include counseling or case management.
Are linked to justice and accountability systems.
Must consider survivor safety implications throughout treatment.

63. Florida Batterer Intervention Program (BIP)
Chapter (8) F.S., specifies that BIP is set up and authorized to address the use of Intimate Partner Violence for the purpose of exercising power and control …over the other.
The chapter further states that:
It will endanger victims if courts and other referral agencies refer family and household members who are not perpetrators of the type of domestic violence encompassed by these standards.
Accordingly, the court and others who make referrals should refer perpetrators only to programming that appropriately addresses the violence committed.
Sarah, can you animate the bottom part after the first paragraph so it comes in on a click? Thank you. 63 63

64. BIP Assessment
Used to assess an individual’s appropriateness for participation in BIP.
Does not assess whether or not DV has occurred.
Findings may include identification and assessment of conditions that would keep the individual from benefitting from BIP, including:
mental illness
substance abuse
criminal record of violence
‘mental deficiency’
The law limits BIP suitability to those adjudicated for DV.
- 65H Assessment Requirements for participation in a BIP

65. What Makes for Change in Batterers?
Fear of incarceration is shown to be more effective than empathy for the survivor at inducing batterers to refrain from violence.
These men may respond more positively to approaches designed to elicit empathy for children.

66. Recidivism based on Treatment Modality
Babcock et al. used multiple studies to do a ‘Meta-study’ comparing treatment for batterers used data following batterers for a minimum of two years.
The general recidivism rate for batterers without treatment is estimated at 65%.
Batterers who have participated in treatment, including:
Batterer Intervention
Anger Management
Couples Counseling
Individual Counseling
Improved the recidivism rate by lowering the reported rate to 60% within 2 years, as reported by both police and ‘victims’.
- Babcock, J. et al

67. Co-occurring Factors and Domestic Violence
While drugs and alcohol do not cause DV, they can make it more lethal. An estimated 25% to 50% of batterers also have substance abuse issues.
Survivors may develop somatic or physical symptoms and depression as a result of the numbing and coping response to Battered Woman Syndrome.
One study found that survivors have 16 times the rate of alcohol abuse as non-battered women. 67

68. Filing A Chapter 39 Injunction
Section , Florida Statutes, provides that at any time after the initiation of a child protective investigation, the department, a law enforcement officer, the state attorney, or other responsible person, may motion the court to issue an injunction to prevent any act of child abuse or violence, not limited to domestic violence. The primary purpose of the injunction is to protect and promote the best interests of the child, while taking the preservation of the child's immediate family into consideration.

69. When A Chapter 39 Injunction Should Be Considered…
If the parent or caregiver is a victim of violence themselves, they may be fearful that leaving the offender will be more dangerous than staying.
The Chapter 39 injunction provides a resource to protect the child from abuse or violence by taking allowing the Department or another party to initiate the action in the eyes of the offender.
Examples for when it may be appropriate to seek a Chapter 39 injunction include but are not limited to:
Removing an offending parent, caregiver, paramour, or person from the home to protect the child
Returning a child to a non-offending parent

70. Collaboration with CWLS
The Children’s Legal Services Attorney is responsible for drafting the petition for the injunction using the specific case facts and supporting documentation provided by the child protective investigator and/or case manager.
A court may issue an injunction if reasonable cause exists. Reasonable cause exists when there is evidence of child abuse or there is a likelihood of such abuse occurring based upon a recent overt act or failure to act.

71. The DCM Role in Getting Families to Safety
It is important to remember that you may be the key to getting the survivor and children to safety and that their fears are real.
Despite the best assessment, DV can quickly turn fatal.
Building a trusting relationship with survivors and other community partners will help you to help the survivor further protect herself and her family.

72. Interventions to Support Survivors
DV programs and shelter
Group work (self-help and provider led)
Individual counseling
Trauma
Grief and loss
Role recovery
Substance abuse treatment
Supports for education, employability, and self-efficacy
TANF program exceptions for DV Survivors

73. Florida Domestic Violence Centers
Information and referral
Counseling
Emergency shelter (24 hrs. or more)
Hotline (24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week)
Child assessments (for those in shelter more than 72 hrs.)
Case management
Community education
Other local resources

74. Domestic Violence Advocate, Privileged
All center staff are required to have 30 hours of training to become privileged.
Primary purpose is to give advice, counseling and/or assistance to victims of domestic violence.
Conversations between domestic violence advocate and victim are confidential if they relate to incident that victim is seeking assistance for.
DV Advocate can ask survivor to sign a release of information.

75. Creating Context for Children’s Healing
Sense of physical and emotional safety in current surroundings.
Structure, limits and predictability.
Strong bond to non-battering parent.
Not to feel responsible for care of adults.
Contact with battering parent as appropriate.
Strong bond to siblings.

76. Interventions to Support Children
Shelter (with survivor whenever safe to do so)
Get to Safety (normalization when possible)
Counseling (group, individual depending on age and responses to DV)
Supported and safe contact with survivor if placement away from parents is necessary.

77. - Adapted from L. Walker, The Battered Women’s Syndrome
Stages of Change: Survivors Living with DV
Denial: ‘It was an accident, it didn’t happen’
Guilt: ‘There is a problem, but I deserve it.’
Enlightenment: ‘I am not responsible, and I don’t deserve this, but I want to work things out.’
Recovery: ‘This is not going to change. I need to make a new life’.
- Adapted from L. Walker, The Battered Women’s Syndrome