Violence Interventions Professor Cathy Humphreys The University of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Professor Cathy Humphreys

The University of Melbourne Presentation for DVRCV Forum: Addressing high risk family violence through an integrated service response. 11th September, 2014

High Risks for Family Violence Interventions

Overview

• The Victorian context
• Risky issues to be addressed:

i) actuarial tools ii) women’s representation iii) child protection issues iv) post separation violence v) risk management response

• Cautions in the high risk focus

Victorian Context (1)

• Prominent and tragic child deaths –

Darcey Freeman (aged 4 in 2009); Jai (10), Bailey (2), Tyler, (7) Farquharson in 2005; Luke Batty (11), 2014; Savannah (4) and Indianna (3) 2014.

• 8 children in Victoria killed in the past

year in the context of FV

• Of inquests held on child deaths

reported to child protection in Victoria, the majority are children who have lived with family violence (AOD and MH also prominent).

Victorian Context (2)

• Domestic homicide is being recalculated

in Victoria.

• 2011-2012 - 13 arrests for domestic

homicide

• 2012-13 - 45 arrests for domestic

violence related deaths (includes

manslaughter, culpable driving, incitement to murder)

• 29 clear domestic murders
• 579 rapes in the context of FV

The Victorian Context (3) 2013

• 60,000 incidents of family violence

reported to the police in 2013

• Women's domestic Violence Crisis

Service received more than 50,000 calls to its crisis hotline in Victoria.

• 820 men breaching intervention orders

more than 3 times. 200 men more than 5 times.

Victoria Context (4)

• Visits from senior UK police members

discussing homicide and crimes of (dis)honour

• Statewide forums addressing high risk
• UK practitioners from MARACS

working in Australia

Critical role of information sharing

• KPMG Benchmark data (2008) showed that in 2%
• f 886 incidents police identified 6 or more risk

factors present. The NCARS data and the data from women’s family violence specialist agencies found 34% of women with 9 or more risk factors – to be expected BUT highlights information sharing

• Risk assessment tools are inaccurate unless

there is good information sharing

Victorian Context (5)

• RAMP demonstration models

established in 2 sites

• Positive evaluation (Thomson and Goodhall, 2014)
• Announcement of $30 million for FV

intervention – some of this budget will support 17 RAMPs throughout Victoria

Risky issues (1): Actuarial tools

• The CRAF is the foundation for fv risk

assessment in Victoria

• A wide range of actuarial tools available

to inform and support clinical risk assessment judgements (Danger

Assessment; ODARA; SARA; B-SAFER)

• No actuarial tool developed for children

and FV

Risky Issues (2): Women’s representation

• A central discussion for the reference

group for developing the model

• Lack of presence of the victim a

significant issue

• Demands good practice re: briefing;

representation; perpetrator focus; confidentiality

Risky issues (3): Child protection

• Women at high risk equals children at

high risk

• Imperative to focus on the perpetrator at

RAMPS

• A major opportunity for supporting a

positive shift in child protection intervention

• What is child protection’s role in post-

separation violence?

Risk Issues (4): post-separation violence

• Unclear how many police FV incidents

involve post-separation violence

• 40% of police referrals to CP in the UK

involved P-S violence (Stanley et al 2012)

• How will information from RAMPS

inform Family Law proceedings including para-legal proceedings?

Risky Issue (5): what about the men?

• In the UK only a tiny proportion of

MARACS involve male victims

• Severity associated with male violence

towards women

• Cardiff MARAC highlighted couple

violence as some of the most high risk – both man and woman the subject of the conference

Risky issue (6): Risk assessment without risk management

Agreed responses to high risk management are needed: – Information sharing and co-ordinated action – Intervention Order + charging – High level evidence gathering – photos, witness statements, permission for medical information, follow up perpetrator who leaves the scene, timely follow up of arrest warrants, intelligence information about other crimes, action on breaches - every effort to apprehend – Evidence gathering on stalking – Increased security of the home; surveillance, alarms, victim support in court, intensive case management – Protective response for children – Sharing the risk assessment as the basis of safety planning

A note of caution

• What about the other 90% of women?
• Risk assessment misses many high risk

women and their children

• The RAMP is not a silver bullet – one

step in the integrated FV response

• Engagement with diverse communities

will be critical

• 14 key steps in the ‘Stop the Deaths’

campaign

Managing the risks

• High risk forums – an opportunity and a

risk for the FV sector

• Represent a major step forward towards

inter-agency working

• Our memorial to Luke Batty and all the
• ther women and children in Victoria

who have died - to create a stronger and safer intervention.