CASE 6 Domestic Violence Offender PDF

Preview

Summary

DOMESTIC STALKING AND VIOLENCE Domestic violence increasingly entering the court system – so forensic psychologists correspondingly being asked to assist courts o Describe nature, frequency, severity, and consequences of previous violence o Make predictions about likelihood and severity of future vi...

Description

DOMESTIC STALKING AND VIOLENCE -

-

Domestic violence increasingly entering the court system – so forensic psychologists correspondingly being asked to assist courts o Describe nature, frequency, severity, and consequences of previous violence o Make predictions about likelihood and severity of future violence o Provide intervention recommendations for the batterer as well as for victim o Make predictions regarding likely outcomes of those interventions Challenges for investigators – numerous o Most research on male perpetrated domestic violence o

o

Consider some women, and potential differences in male perpetrated domestic violence + societal implications  Research examining women as perps and some of the potential differences in male perpetrated domestic violence will be considered along with social implications Role of law in practice of forensic psychology and mental health involved is profound Law plays a role in the practice of forensic psychology and mental health of those involved is profound in domestic violence Therapeutic jurisprudence is evident not only near the disposition and trial stage, but the arrest or initial reporting 

o

DEFINING AND IDE NTIFYING THE PREVALENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE -

Definitions o Domestic violence can mean any violence or aggression perpetrated within the context of a significant interpersonal relationship (eg family, marriage, dating) o Can include violence between husband/wife, gf/bf, gay or lesbian partners o Can include adult children and elderly parents, siblings, parents and children or siblings

-

Domestic violence encompasses psychological, physical, and sexual aggression between intimate partners. Prevalent measures used to assess domestic violence is the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) o Measures to assess violence = Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) o Somewhat controversial measure o Intertwined with commonly accepted definitions of domestic violence and is central to understanding some of the issues involved in describing and estimating the prevalence of domestic violence

-

-

Revised version of the CTS, the Conflicts Tactics Scale-2 (CTS2) consists of our items that offer examples of different aggressive behaviors that routinely occur in domestic violence conflicts These items can be further divided into the three broad categories of domestic violence o Psychological o Physical o Sexual Physical aggression can be categorised into mild or moderate (arm twisting, hair pulling) and severe (using a knife or throwing an object that could hurt)

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE P REVALENCE FIGURES -

Not definitive prevalence rates (as a result of definition and way we measure domestic violence)

-

Estimate up to one-third (1/3) of all women are victims of domestic violence during their lifetime 4M four million women each year are assaulted by a domestic partner Stats should be examined cautiously in terms of their purpose and definitions. But need to consider: o Did they include psychological aggression? o Were the studies assessing members of the community or a high risk group of people? o Estimates or more precise numbers through empirical research? Eg. one review stated that as many as 57% of high school students and 65% of college students have been involved in violent relationships but statistics include involvement both as a perpetrator and a victim of violence and include lifetime prevalence. o Many studies only use violence in the last year (including CTS or CTS2) o Some have physical, some both physical and psychological  Some studies only include physical violence, while others include both physical and psychological violence in their definition Studies examining couples living together or married: different rates – varying rates of domestic violence o Straus and Gelles (1990) telephoned 2000 couples and found approx 12% of women reported they 

-

o

-

-



had been victims of physical aggression in the last year by their partner, with 5% reporting being the victim of severe violence HOWEVER, Studies examining clinical samples of men/women found higher rates of domestic violence 

Sample of 132 couples coming to marital therapy 53% of women were victims of physical aggression by their husbands and 21% victims of severe aggression



Another study → couples who sought psychological treatment for marital difficulties reported 71% experienced at least one episode of aggression in the last year

Clinical samples v community samples (clinical higher) o Clinical: composed of individuals who are seeking treatment for either domestic violence or marital problems, or mental health issues in general  More likely that individuals presenting for treatment will report domestic violence than those drawn from community  50-70% of couples seek therapy for marital also experience physical aggression o Clinical samples of marital couples include higher rates of domestic violence than community samples  Clinical samples are composed of individuals who are seeking treatment either for domestic violence or marital problems, or mental health issues in general  More likely those individuals presenting for treatment will report domestic violence than those drawn from the community at large  50-70% of couples who seek therapy for marital problems experience physical aggression in their relationships ANOTHER PROBLEM: Potential problem with assessing domestic violence relates to general risk assessment o Manner in which data is collected – since Domestic violence associated with an intimate partner, perpetrator and victim are often available and prevalence data may be available from both parties  Victims and perps are reluctant to give accurate reports of domestic violence especially in certain contexts  BUT reluctant to give accurate reports  Only 6% of women indicated domestic violence was problem in marriage when responding to written self report  BUT 44% admitted it occurring during interview Can be underreported but victims report more violence than perpetrators

Figures are gathered through criminal justice stats that may give us different prevalence rates -

-

588,000 crimes reported in 2001 that were perpetrated by intimate partners Criminal justice figures are dependent on self-reporting o Many difficulties would arise from them and their partner in the legal system o Only 7% of domestic assaults and 14% of severe domestic results are ever reported In one year 1247 women and 440 men were killed by their intimate partners

-

o 33% of all female murder victims but only 4% of male murder victims No matter the source of the prevalence data on domestic violence it is clear that it is a significant problem

OVERALL: domestic violence underreported, victims report more than perpetrators Domestic violence figures are also gathered through criminal justice statistics that may give us different prevalence rates. There were 588,000 crimes reported in 2001 that were perpetrated by intimate partners (Rennison, 2003). However, criminal justice figures are dependent on someone getting involved in the legal system and many avoid difficulties that would arise for them and their partner in the legal system, as indicated by the finding that only about 7% of domestic assaults and 14% of severe domestic assaults are ever reported (Kantor & Strauss, 1990; Straus & Gelles, 1988). Nonetheless, in one year 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by their intimate partners. These figures constitute 33% of all female murder victims but only 4% of all male murder victims. No matter the source of the prevalence data on domestic violence, it is clear that it is significant problem.

ASSESSMENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A MONG INTIMATE PARTNERS -

MOST COMMON TASK: Forensic psychologist → assess the severity and frequency of any domestic violence in a relationship o Necessary to assist a judge arriving at a criminal sentence o Educate a batterer program that me be providing court-ordered treatment

-

Despite intricacies of defining prevalence of domestic violence, CTS has become the standard measure for domestic violence among intimate partners and allows for a common comparison across studies that has been previously lacking CTS suggests additional meaning to behaviour → does so in a way that suggests additional meaning to the behaviour o CTS suggests that domestic violence occurs within a marital conflict o Assess positive behaviours that involve the negotiation Revised CTS contains items that assess severity of injury victim experiences and sexually coercive behaviour BUT criticized since measure suggests equal rates of perpetration for men and women o Initially criticised because studies using the measure suggested equal rates of perpetration for men and women o Criticized for ignoring context in which domestic violence occurs (eg out of self defence, or fear of being struck first) Criticized for assessing limited number of specific acts and not identifying entire range of aggressive incidents

-

-

-

○ CTS has been criticised ○ ○ Criticised for ignoring the context in which domestic violence occurred out of self-defence or fear of being struck first ○ Criticised for assessing a limited number of specific acts and not identifying the entire range of aggressive behaviours

ASSESSING CONSEQUENCES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE -

By understanding consequences, can identify potential interventions to reduce suffering of victim o 1.4M people treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries confirmed/suspected of interpersonal violence o Almost 250 000 patients victimized by spouse/ex-spoues or boy/girlf

Psychological Consequences

-

-

-

-

-

PTSD – psychological disorder (DSM- IV TR) – characterized by exposure to traumatic event or series of traumatic events o Can result in avoidance of any stimuli associated with traumatic experience o Re-experience of trauma, dreams, increased arousal or emotional numbing o Symptoms overlap with Walker’s construct of ‘battered woman’ syndrome BWS – but Walker’s construct also suggests basis for certain characteristic behaviours not part of PTSD but quite common among women suffering from BWS  Eg failing to leave abusive relationship despite continued abuse Golding found in 11 studies among victims of domestic violence 63.8% suffered PTSD Also high rates DEPRESSION o Battered women exhibit similar levels of epression to psychiatric patients  Much higher rates than indivduals not victims of abuse o Severity of depression relates to severity and frequency of violence o Between 38-83% of women in abusive relationships exhibited depression o Battered women at least 5 times greater risk for suicide Depression and substance abuse often co-occur in variety of groups incl battered women o Golding found 18.5% battered women experience alcohol abuse o 8.9% suffer from drug abuse Sato and Heiby (1992) have gone beyond simple prevalence rates of depression and found that women who reported poor self-reinforcement, personal and financial losses, and a past history of depression were at significant risk for depression because of the violent relationship. IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM o Consistent reduced self-esteem o Negative association between severity of abuse and whether abuse began prior to marriage not found o

Lowered self esteem related to both physical and psychological abuse

OVERALL -

Consequences not just because of physical violence Psychological abuse has more severe long term effects than physical – and psychological abuse occurred more frequently

RISK FA CTORS AND RISK ASSES MENT IN DOMESTIC VIOLE NCE -

-

-

Victim may be repeatedly available for perpetrator, increasing opportunity for victimization Should punishment of perpetrator be based on continued presence of victim? Issue of risk management important o With easier access to victims, identification of factors and designing interventions specifically to reduce them is important Because of continued presence of victim, many experts encourage victim’s perception of assault cycle and risk factors o Should be considered cautiously because victim perceptions may be biased  Eg one of the most important determiners of continued contact between perpetrator and victim is if the perpetrator seeks out treatment  Women are more likely to stay with batterer that seeks out treatment that one who does not o But significant drop out rates, moderate treatment effects for programs – so significant increase in woman’s sense of safety just because seeking treatment is problematic RISK FACTORS FOR DOMESTIC VIOELNCE Demographic and historical factors

-

-

Age of perpetrators, sociooeconomic status of the perpetrator, race, and childhood exposure to domestic violence form complex relationships with the onset of domestic violence Earlier reviews: suggested no relationship between age and domestic violence perpetration, more recent reviews indicate otherwise Age is inversely related to the perpetration of domestic violence so that the younger the perpetrator, the greater the risk for domestic violence. o In a study 12,000 men enlisted in the military, the authors found that for

o

every 10 years age increased, the risk decreased by 19% that a man would perpetrate mild violence and 29% for severe These age-related results even hold true when other demographic variables are considered (Kantor et al., 1994),

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS -

-

-

Demonstrates similar inverse relationship with prepretration of physical violence in domestic violence conflicts Most severe aggression related to lower SES SES is global variable: o Consists of employment status, educational level, living above or below poverty line Low SES more likely to suffer from o Financial and other interpersonal stressors - increase risk for domestic violence o Less educated → less likely to seek out professional assistance and less likely to know where to turn for professional assistance SES is a global variable – may not find relationship between some isolated variables that compose SES – but overlal relationship consistent

RACE AND ETHNICITY -

Specific racial and ethnic relationships that increase risk, but uts across all Significant differences in domestic violence between Caucasians with AAs, Hsiapnics or Latino Americans o Higher rates of domestic violence in AAs, Hispanics, and non-Whites in general o Prevalence rate for AAs and Latinos approx. 17% compared to 12% for Caucasias o AAs higher risk of reoffending after initial instances of domestic violence

OTHER VARIABLES THAT ACCOUNT FOR RACE AND ETHNIC -

Education, economics and social networks Domestic violence rates vary for AAs and Caucasians systematically depending on their community of origin Racial differences largely disappear when different racial groups reside in similar communities

FAMILY OF ORIGN -

Psychological

-

Men who grow up in abusive and violent homes – more likely to perpetrate domestic violence Intergenerational transmission of violence - staple of domestic violence field o Individuasl who were exposed to violence as children are more likely to perpetrate violence in won family as adults o Results true- wetherh physical/verbally abused themselves or witnessed o 158% increase in risk for violence if exposed to parental violence as child Jealousy, need for power and control and reduced assertiveness

EXPRESSION OF ANGER AND HOSTILITY -

Feminist theories hesitant to focus, but often core of treatment strategies for perpetrators Perps reported more anger Anger and hostility scores and self-report measures differed significantly between severely abusive men, moderately abusive and non-abusive Clinical and community samples support this

SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE -

Drugs and alcohol associated with violence in terms of chronic abuse and use immediately prior or during domestically violent episode Increase risk of domestic violence Not just chronic use – on days in which perp consumes alcohol, risk is 8 times higher he will physically assault partner Alcohol consumption more common in severe violence (38%) than moderate (11%) or verbal (3%)

DEPRESSION -

Relationship and contextual factors

-

-

Other characteristic s

-

-

Perps have higher level of depression Martially violent men reporting more depression than non-violent men Nearly 2/3 of perps depressed compared to 1/3 of the rest of the sample Depression may be related ot heightened display of emotion that is characteristic of at least some batterers o BATTERERS: Exhibit borderline tendencies, heightened levels of depression and express more suicidal ideas and behaviour Relationship itself: individulas who are unhappy with relationship frequently argue with partner, demonstrate psychological aggression at increased risko f violence Specific communication patterns that suggest risk Best predictor of domestic violence Martial satisfaction of perp is itself predictive of violence towards his partner o Clear association between violence and relationship dissatisfaction o Significant predictive relationship between reported satisfaction and selfreported violence o Chicken v egg  Marital dissatisfaction after 18 months of marriage did not predict later physical aggression  Marital dissatisfaction at 18 moths predicted pyschologicla aggression, wich predicted physical aggression at 30 monhts of marriage SELF REPORTED MARITAL SATISFACTION – may be important as the communication patterns couples exhibit with each other o Many studies – couples videotaped discussing relationship or problems in their relationship o Husbands who exhibit physical aggression more likely to dismiss partner’s opinion, threaten or mimic their gestures, become defensive and use negative physical contact than verbally aggressive husbands Violent couples more likely to use more verbal attacks, more anger and more likely to withdraw from situation Pregnancy significantly increases risk for domestic violence + significant number of women begin to be victimized during pregnancy Ending of relationship – particularly dangerous, partners become threatened by clear indication of change or loss in relationship OTHER domestic violence: pscyhologcial aggression, sexual aggression, and homicide Victims under 30 and over 50 greater risk, lower SEES backgrounds, who were sexually assaulted out of the relationship have experienced severe physical aggression in general more at risk Relationship variables such as communication patterns, along with perp characteristics (eg anger, borderline personality characteristics, passiveaggressive characteristics, and self-defeating characteristics) indicate higher risk of psychological abuse SES and witnessing violence as child unrelated to psychological abuse in relationship

Homicide in domestically violent relationships FEMICIDE – leading cause of premature death ofr women in the US Risk factors for homicide -

History of domestic violence and presence of handguns Strongest risk factor – ending relationship Generalized violence, alcohol abuse, unemployment ,being member of racial minority significant risk factors 11 cities, 220 female victims study - Results showed that relationships in which the perpetrator had access to a gun, the perpetrator made prior threats with a weapon, the perpetrator's stepchild was in the home, and the parties were separated were at greater risk. Never living together and prior domestic violence arrests were protective factors for homicide

AS...