Victims of episodic and recurring intimate partner and familial abuse frequently minimize the nature and extent of the violence, justify its occurrence, or deny it ever happened. When police respond to the scene for a 911 emergency call, they may be confronted with a volatile situation in which one or more of the parties are highly emotional, tempers are flaring, and the victim of the abuse may be in a crisis state, possibly injured, and in a dangerous position. Fortunately, there is now a tool for officers and others to assess just how dangerous a domestic violence situation is or is likely to become.
The officers on the scene should quickly survey the situation and assess the context and level of danger that is present in order to know what action to take. This should be done immediately and before the officer clears the call to ensure the victim's safety and diminish the risk of further danger to the victim. It is vital for police officers to possess knowledge of domestic violence. They must recognize that their response strategies are critically important to threat assessment and determination of possible lethality risks for the victim.
Creating the Questionnaire
David Sargent, the Lethality Assessment Coordinator for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) and a retired police lieutenant from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D. C., is proactive in efforts to educate and train law enforcement officers about lethality assessment related to domestic violence. His work with the Maryland Network has been essential in the creation of an in-depth assessment instrument that provides a protocol that can be used by first responders and any disciplinary practitioners dealing directly with domestic violence. This instrument was developed after meetings, discussion, and coordination with a multi-disciplinary committee of prosecutors, law enforcement officials, allied professionals, and consultation with Dr. Jackie Campbell, a noted researcher at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who is well known for her work regarding danger assessment.
The Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders, developed by Sargent and his team, was a two-year project that was initially field tested in three jurisdictions in 2003 and subsequently refined. "We had to get it right," says Sargent. The screen was initiated in October 2005 on a strictly voluntary basis. "We started humbly," says Sargent. Initially, there were four law enforcement agencies with their two domestic violence program partners. It did not take long to fuel interest in the project, however, and the momentum grew and expanded to 66 law enforcement agencies in 21 counties in Maryland.
"It's a simple, concrete, reliable, preventative tool that agencies can use to save lives," says Sargent. He explains how it works: an officer responds to a call to investigate. The officer must determine it is an intimate partner situation, believe that an assault has occurred, discover that a law enforcement officer has repeatedly responded to the location, and must feel that leaving the scene would be problematic. The officer introduces the screen, which is comprised of 11 questions, and asks if the victim would be willing to answer them. If the victim agrees and if the answers to a certain number of questions screen the victim as being "high danger" and at greatest risk for being killed, the officer will explain the results to the victim. Additionally, the officer acknowledges that in such high danger situations, people have been known to be killed. The officer will ask the victim's permission to call a domestic violence hotline for the victim to talk to someone while the officer is present. If the victim agrees, the hotline can provide assistance with the immediate crisis including the provision of services that may include placing the victim in a shelter. The unique aspect of this protocol is that the phone call is made by the officer who encourages the victim to obtain assistance.
Getting the Buy-In
In a two-year period, Sargent indicates 5,000 screens have been conducted, and 57% of them have resulted in "high danger" screens. 54% of victims (approximately 2,900) have agreed to speak with a counselor on the phone at the scene. Of those 2,900, more than 420 or 27% have obtained services. "Just to get victims on the phone is significant," says Sargent.
In some instances, other agencies make follow-up calls to victims and may conduct a follow-up visit to high danger victims. In Harford County, Maryland, a practice has been implemented by the sheriff's office in which a lethality screen is conducted when a victim appears at the Family Justice Center to apply for a protective order because it is recognized that the protective order application process occurs during a dangerous phase. The Domestic Violence Lethality Screen is being used in two prosecutor's offices in Maryland–the Calvert County and Anne Arundel State's Attorney's Office. In Anne Arundel County, a specialized Lethality Assessment Advocate works closely with victims, assists them in obtaining services, and follows their cases.
Examples of Questions
The questions include:
- Has he threatened to kill you?
- Do you have a child that is not his?
- Is he an alcoholic or problem drinker?
- Do you think he is capable of killing you?
The law enforcement officer tallies the affirmative answers to discuss with their advocate
This assessment tool has generated considerable interest. Sargent has received calls from 18 states throughout the nation and will be visiting two of them. Why are so many other states interested in it? "I believe because it is innovative, it is research-based and, therefore, contains an element of 'validity;' it uses an innovative approach, and it is fairly easy to replicate. We do not believe there is a similar program in the country, certainly, that uses a specially designed research-based first responder instrument and accompanying protocol," says Sargent.
The screen is demonstrating levels of success in localities where it has been implemented. Sargent admits that for a program of this type to be accepted into a law enforcement agency, it must be accepted by the chief of police. "I don't get resistance," says Sargent who acknowledges most chiefs have been very receptive to the idea. One chief told Sargent, "We're going to do this because it's the right thing to do."
The program is so easy to replicate, and it takes proactive steps to save lives," says Sargent. Threat assessment and screening for lethality risk are crucial components of a protocol that should become standard procedure in jurisdictions nationwide to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence.