overview and the link

1. module 1 • Family Violence Protocol • Integrated Training for Law Enforcement, Social Services, and Advocates overview and the link Merced County Human Services Agency HSA-SAS mod1link.ppt (5/07)

2. Contents • What? Why? How? Who? • Connections • Common Charges • Key Governing Statutes • What is . . . ? • Domestic Violence • Child Abuse and Neglect • Elder Abuse • Animal Abuse • “The Link” • Research Proves It • Working Together

3. What?Why?How?Who?

4. Protocol Defined • Family Violence Protocol represents a new way of doing business. • Cutting edge agreement addressing link between all forms of family violence: • Domestic Violence • Child Abuse and Neglect • Adult and Elder Abuse • Animal Abuse • Covers all of Merced County.

5. Why It Matters • Child abuse and domestic violence often co-occur in the same family. • Law enforcement, child welfare, and domestic violence advocates need to communicate and collaborate to keep victims safe. • District Attorney and Court depend on good reports in order to successfully prosecute. • All parties agreed on need for better procedures for cross-reporting.

6. How We Did It • Part of Children’s Action Plan. • Led by Child Abuse and Family Violence Prevention Council—Human Services Agency and A Woman’s Place. • September 2005 through June 2006 • Fifteen meetings with team to develop and test ideas. • August 2006 • Family Violence Protocol was signed by all local police chiefs, Sheriff, District Attorney, Superior Court, Human Services Agency, Probation, Agriculture Commissioner, and A Woman’s Place.

7. Who Was Involved Forty-four participants: • Law enforcement dispatch, investigation, commanders, and chiefs • Human Services Agency (Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services social workers) • A Woman’s Place • District Attorney • Probation • Animal Control • Judge

8. Connections

9. Domestic Violence Child Abuse and Neglect PROTOCOL Adult and Elder Abuse Animal Abuse Family Violence Protocol

10. Assault Rape Abuse of spouse, former spouse, cohabitant Unlawful sexual intercourse—statutory rape Rape of a child—lewd and lascivious acts with a child Felony or misdemeanor child endangerment Annoying or molesting a child Aggravated trespassing—forcible entry Threats—criminal threats—stalking—harassment—annoying telephone calls Malicious destruction of a telephone line or wireless communication device Violation of a protective order Firearm violations Elder abuse Cruelty to animals Common Charges

11. Key Governing Statutes • PC §12028.5: Taking Temporary Custody of Firearm at Scene of Family Violence Incident allows law enforcement to take temporary custody of any firearm/deadly weapon for the protection of peace officer or others present. • PC § § 13700 et seq.: Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence require law enforcement to develop policies and standards for responding to domestic violence. • PC § 836: Peace Officer’s Authority to Arrest Under Warrant or Without Warrant: Explanation During Domestic Violence Calls of Citizen’s Arrest Rights; Arrest Without a Warrant of Person Violating Protective Order; Assault and Battery Arrests Without Warrant.

12. Key Governing Statutes (Cont.) • PC § § 1116, 11165.7 – PC 11165.14, PC 11166 et seq.,11174.3: Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and WIC § 15656 defines child abuse and neglect and mandates that allegations be reported to Child Welfare Services and/or law enforcement. • PC § 368 and WIC § 15656 defines abuse and neglect of elders and dependent adults. • PC § 11199 allows employees of county child and adult protective service agencies to report suspected animal abuse to be investigated.

13. What is . . .?

14. Domestic Violence • Domestic Violence is a wide variety of behaviors used by individuals to exert power and control, through fear and intimidation, over their intimate partners, former partners, or family members. • Domestic Violence or battering includes: • Physical abuse • Emotional abuse • Psychological abuse • Any other tactics employed to reinforce control over the victim

15. Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse and Neglect is: • Physical injury • Sexual maltreatment • Emotional maltreatment • Deprivation of necessities under circumstances indicating the child’s welfare is harmed or threatened

16. Elder Abuse Elder abuse and neglect is any form of mistreatment that results in harm or loss to an older person including: • Physical harm • Sexual abuse • Financial exploitation • Emotional or verbal abuse • Neglect, including self-neglect • Abandonment

17. Animal Abuse Animal abuse is: • The crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. • Can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or been put in imminent danger of death.

18. “The Link” • Over the past decade, the link between animal abuse, child abuse, elder abuseanddomestic violence has become clearer. • Numerous studies have found violent criminals and serial killers to be common perpetrators of animal abuse. • Since abusers aim to hurt anything victims hold dear, family pets are also popular targets.

19. Research Proves It

20. Research shows that • Domestic violence and child maltreatment often co-occur in the same family. • There is a correlation between violence toward humans and animals. • Animal abuse is a red flag for human abuse. • Violent criminals share a common history of brutal parental punishment and cruelty to animals.

21. The Link Personified • Ted Bundy mutilated animals as a child. • Jeffrey Dahmer killed neighborhood pets, nailed frogs on trees and impaled the heads of dogs on sticks. • Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, trapped pets in crates and then shot them with a bow and arrow. • Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (Columbine High School) both had histories of animal cruelty.

22. Pets and the Family • Pets are beaten or killed in order to coerce or intimidate the victim with the message, “You could be next.” • Batterers may coerce children into silence regarding sexual abuse with threats to kill pets. • Batterers engage in bestiality or force victims to engage in bestiality as a form of humiliation.

23. Similarities betweenAnimal and Human Abuse • Power and control; preying on those more vulnerable. • Risk of physical and psychological injury. • Unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, marks. • Behavior changes such as regression, relapse in training. • Failure-to-thrive, withdrawing, passive. • Hostile to others, untrusting. • Desperate to please anyone showing kindness. • May still show love for the abuser. • Running away.

24. Working Together

25. We Can Work Together. . . • Byrecognizing that many times a family is seen by multiple agencies. • First responders and investigators trained in cross-reporting and documentation procedures. • Investigators recognizing their unique position in breaking the cycleof violence.

26. Module 1Overview of the Link • Family Violence Protocol • Integrated Training for Law Enforcement, Social Services, and Advocates