Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition Chapter Eleven: Intimate Violence

Intimate Violence Domestic violence is a general term that may be used to describe physical aggression between family members, household member, or intimates. Domestic violence is more than physical injuries from individual incidents of assault. It is a pattern of conduct that uses physical battering as just one method of inflicting emotional trauma. Intimate violence is a particular type of domestic violence that occurs when a current of former intimate relationship partner becomes physically violent towards the other.

The Dynamics of Intimate Violence Intimate violence does not necessarily involve people that live together, but those involved must be or have been involved in a deep personal relationship of some kind. Often it is sexual or romantic in nature, though it can involve non-sexual relationships. In cases of intimate violence, barring mental disorder or defect, the motivation is almost exclusively about power, anger/revenge, profit or some combination.

The Dynamics of Intimate Violence In cases of intimate violence, there is a sense of overall powerlessness experienced on the part of the aggressor. The following are differences between domestic violence and other forms of interpersonal violence: Violence between intimates is more likely to involve repeated assaults over a period of time, rather than a one-time incident of violence. Therefore, it is distinct in both frequency and duration. Domestic violence is a pattern of conduct that uses physical battering as just one method of inflicting emotional trauma.

The Dynamics of Intimate Violence The Johnson Typology of Intimate Personal Violence (IPV) provides four categories that are meant to take an offender’s use of threats, economic control, privilege and punishment, children, isolation, emotional abuse, and sexual control into account. 1.Intimate Terrorism (IT) - a type of intimate personal violence where violence is one tactic in a larger pattern of power and control. It involves more frequent per-couple incidents, more severe violence, and results in more serious injury.

The Dynamics of Intimate Violence 2.Violent Resistance (VR) - situations where a female victim defends herself against her aggressive male partner. 2.Situational Couple Violence (SCV) - occurs in the contact of a specific disagreement that spirals into a violent incident. It is an isolated reaction to conflict and does not involve a larger pattern of power and control. 3.Mutual Violent Control (MVC) – controlling violence in a relationship in which both spouses are violent and controlling.

The Dynamics of Intimate Violence The Mills behavior motivation typology discusses eight types of abuse dynamics, including rejection, degradation, terrorization, social isolation, missocialization, exploitation, emotional unresponsiveness, and close confinement, that often happen in Intimate Violence situations.

Risk & Exposure Studies have shown that 92% of domestic batterers used alcohol or drugs before domestic assault, and that the use of alcohol or drugs is one of the most significant risk factors for domestic violence. Many domestic abuse and neglect deaths fail to be counted as domestic homicides. This may be a result of law enforcement agencies misclassifying these deaths and not coding boyfriend/girlfriend homicides as domestic when the two people did not officially live together.

Risk & Exposure High-risk factors of domestic homicide include the following: Prior history of domestic violence Escaping violent relationships Obsessive-possessiveness Prior police involvement Prior criminal history of the perpetrator Threats to kill Alcohol/drug problems Protection orders

Risk & Exposure Continued: Acute perceptions of betrayal Child custody disputes Mental illness of perpetrator Hostage-taking Children are hers not his Change in circumstance Her fear

Domestic Homicide Domestic homicide occurs when one family member, household member, or intimate kills another. It is often the result of accumulates as opposed to situational rage, and is frequently associated with drug and alcohol use. Risk factors of domestic violence include: the age of the woman (child bearing years), being a mother of children not related to the male aggressor, and making threats to leave or actually leaving the male. The largest single trigger for male violence is a woman’s threat or attempt to leave her partner.

Orders of Protection One of the risk factors of domestic homicide identified is the issuance of a protective order by the court – barring the offender from contact with the victim. A woman may decide that she should not get an order for protection to escape a physically dangerous situation because the period when a woman decides to leave is the time she is most vulnerable. This is referred to as separation assault. The decision to get a protection order is an individual one. Evidence of Orders of Protection must be given proper weight in any victimological assessment.

The Perfect Victim: Intimate Violence by Law Enforcement Research has shown that police families are more likely to experience domestic violence than others. –Law enforcement officers are trained to take control of any situation in conflict and remain in control as the undisputed authority until a conflict has been resolves. –Any challenge or perceives challenge to that authority necessitates a response, and the use of force, or violence, is one available option. It has also too often been the practice of police officers to ignore their training and experience when dealing with other officers of the law.

The Perfect Victim: Intimate Violence by Law Enforcement The consequences of ignoring or failing to thoroughly investigate police involved domestic violence allegations are incurred primarily by the victim. These victims not only face traditional barriers, but their biggest hurdle is what is referred to as “Brotherhood in Blue”. The victim may not feel safe because their abuser has a government issued firearm. The victim may not feel safe because their abuser has a police badge and all of the authority that comes with it.

The Perfect Victim: Intimate Violence by Law Enforcement The victim may not feel safe calling the police because their abuser may have relationships with potential responding officers. The victim may not fee safe going to a domestic shelter because their abuser likely knows where all of the shelters are. The victim runs the risk of not being believed by anyone, including law enforcement responders, victim’s advocates, and the prosecutor’s office, because they are accusing a law enforcement officer. The victim may fear that mandatory arrest laws for domestic violence cases, and the office of the prosecutor, will not protect them should they decide to cal 911 and seek to press charges.

The Perfect Victim: Intimate Violence by Law Enforcement These fears are not unjustified. Many officers value their career above all else and a mere allegation of abuse is serious. Further, the problem is systemic and cannot survive without at least the tacit approval or law enforcement administrators and prosecutors.