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Children of a Polygamist Sect
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) is an offshoot of the Mormon faith centered in the towns of Colorado City, Ariz. and Hildale, Utah. It is a polygamous sect of 10,000 members that portrays itself as an industrious commune of the faithful who choose to live apart from a hostile world. Investigations have uncovered widespread sexual abuse and child exploitation. Warren Jeffs, a third-generation church member is the sect leader – a post that carries the title “prophet” and gives him virtually absolute control over the most intimate conduct. The Los Angeles Times has investigated the sect over the last year, using court records, undisclosed investigative reports and interviews that show church authorities flout state and federal laws and systematically deny rights and freedoms, especially to women and children. See the series of articles below: ++++++++++ Violence Against Women with Mental Illness
This issue brief from the Consensus Project examines what is known about the vulnerability to violent crime of women with mental illness; what programs have attempted to service this population of women; what resources are available to the field and other issues. 16 page downloadable pdf file.
++++++++++ Maine Law Shields Animals in Domestic Violence Cases
Many men who abuse wives or girlfriends threaten or harm their animals to coerce or control the women. TMaine has passed a law that allows animals to be included in protection orders in domestic violence cases. The issue has captured attention around the country as police departments, domestic violence programs, animal protection societies and state officials become aware of the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. ++++++++++ A Change in Focus for Batterer Programs
In Texas ex-offenders are leading recent offenders to confront how their own decisions to use violence are linked to an underlying belief in male dominance in a prison and probation program for domestic batterers.
++++++++++ National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week February 6-10 The American Bar Association (BA) has put together a toolkit that can be used anytime, but is associated with this week in particular. The toolkit materials include a Teen Dating Violence Awareness DVD, a book of prevention recommendations highly recommended by teens, and a teacher’s guide among other contents. Below are links to some of the toolkit resources:
Teen Dating Violence Facts
Warning Signs
Teen Dating Violence Prevention Recommendations
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New Publication from NCJFCJ’s Permanency Planning for Children Department
Domestic Violence Advocacy in Dependency Court: The Miami-Dade Dependency Court Intervention Program for Family Violence Handbook – The need to recognize, understand, and respond when child maltreatment and domestic violence intersect is critical for all dependency system stakeholders, but especially for judges who are faced with the responsibility for making decisions that affect the safety and well-being of abused and neglected children. This handbook describes the development, implementation, and daily operation of a unique and promising initiative designed to address these issues. To order these publications click here ++++++++++Domestic Violence Court The Center for Court Innovation web site includes information about the 20+ domestic violence courts in New York and the more recent integrated domestic violence court in which a single judge handles criminal domestic violence cases and related family issues such as custody, visitation, civil protection orders and matrimonial actions. Includes downloadable materials. ++++++++++Non-Lethal Strangulation is now a Felony in a Growing List of States
Six states (North Carolina, Missouri, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oklahoma) now have a felony statute on strangulation, a terrifying crime that research has shown affects in about one of every five battered women. The laws have emerged along with a growing recognition across the country that non-lethal strangulation assaults are one of the “red flags” of deadly family violence. +++++++++++Arizona Study Highlights Change in Police Officer Attitudes toward Domestic Violence
The Morrison institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University surveyed 777 officers around the state and found great change in their attitudes over the past two decades. Nearly all officers surveyed now believe domestic violence is a “real crime” that warrants their intervention. The study also raises questions about officer training and education, prosecution and the state’s ability to provide services and programs for victims. The complete report is available as a pdf file at the Morrison Institute web site. ++++++++++ Intimate Partner Violence: Fact SheetThe Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control presents a 10 page fact sheet about intimate partner violence. Iinteresting facts from this publication:
Most IPV incidents are not reported to the police.
++++++++++ A Guide for Effective Issuance and Enforcement of Protection Orders NCJFCJ’s Family Violence Department announces the publication of this guide (aka, the Burgundy Book), intended to give communities and professionals precise tools and strategies they can implement to broaden the effectiveness of protection orders. The Burgundy Book is the culmination of more than four years of examination, site visits, and interviews with professionals in communities already changing the landscape of protection orders. For a free copy, contact the FVD at 1-800-527-3223 or by email at fvdinfo@ncjfcj.org ++++++++++
Domestic Violence and Firearms
This issue brief from the Muskie School of Public Service examines the relationship between domestic violence and firearms in Maine.
++++++++++ Another Girls Court: PEG In response to my request for information on girls courts in the country, Judge John Romero sent me information on the Program for the Empowerment of Girls in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The program is for girls who have a history of violence as a victim, a witness or as an offender. The link above will take you to a brief description of the program. If you’d like to know more, let me know. Judge Romero also sent me brochures for the PEG program with more information and I’ll be pleased to share them with you. SNAP – The boys’ version. SNAP stands for Say No to Abusing Power. It also intervenes in domestic violence issues and/or violent behavior outside the family. I also have a brochure for SNAP. +++++++++ Kids Who Batter Family Members Dan Pompa, administrator for the Lucas County Juvenile Court, set out to study the court’s domestic violence cases in response to a growing awareness of increasing numbers of reported cases,. Staff studied 1,144 cases from 2001 and 2002 for which a juvenile’s police reports and court records were available. The answers are frustrating. There is no one conclusion, no common denominators, and no obvious solutions. In a three day series of articles the Toledo Blade looks at the juvenile court study and the problem of juvenile domestic violence – kids who threaten, punch, kick, drag, stab, and otherwise lash out against family members. ++++++++++ Web Sites for Teens Dating Violence: ReachoutNH.com and Break-the-Cycle.org Girls: GirlsAllowed.org All three are very good web sites, but I am particularly enthusiastic about Girls Allowed. Some really original thinking and solid research went into the development of this web site.
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In Brazil, Police Stations for Women Staffed by WomenMore than 300 women’s police stations have opened in Brazil in the past 20 years. In the first year of operations, the number of charges filed by officers in women’s stations was more than double the number of charges for similar crimes against women filed by the predominantly male officers in regular precincts. Brazil’s innovation has grown into an international phenomenon with at least 10 nations in Latin America and Asia having similar systems for registering and investigating charges of domestic violence, threats, child abuse, sexual assaults, and other crimes often perpetrated against women. ++++++++++ |
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