We Can Stop Domestic Violence. The Question is -- Do We Want To?

Domestic Dispute, Leads to SWAT Stand-off with Topeka Police Department

[Tell me, how in the hell a SWAT stand-off,  for four hours with police,  of a man who kicks the mother out of HER  home, locking her out from HER baby girl, and the Topeka Police (and Community) call this Domestic Dispute???  

We have become so complacent in our society with violence against women that the "violence" has been dropped from "domestic violence". There is nothing Domestic about violence against women and children. Drop the "domestic" and charge as any other person crime, e.g. assault, battery etc.

But now..... we have "Dispute" replacing "Violence"? This is an intentional minimizing from the top of the chain, fed exclusively to the sheeple --- whom sadly, seem to kool-aide drink into this whole mind control - or, is it really that we do not want to stop the violence?] Actions speak louder than words.

Kansas -- is always decades late in promoting the newest, and best standards and practices for victims of (domestic) violence. Profit Over Protection - The Industry Of Abuse.

Why they can not just drop the word "domestic" from the violence and prosecute accordingly, is beyond me or simple common sense. Currently the word "domestic" is a "get out of jail free" card, to continue to terrorize women and her children. 

Currently in local news, several KC, DV programs and agencies are WRONGLY implementing and touting the "Lethal Assessment Tool". An out dated and dangerous tool to use. I am like, come on already. Its not that hard.

Apparently, it is.

 Why common sense can not just be implemented in violence against women and children. the DV industry, the profits? For what ever reasons, they do not help women and children who are subjected to violence.

Perhaps maybe, rewriting simple common sense will work for Kansas. Please take note of the Quincy Solution.   

(Ok, Kansas. So there ya have it, again. Actual real solution to address actual real issues. Please follow a common sense approach, and truly offer real resources and real support to woman and children who suffer from violence, needlessly. The information about the Quincy Solution will be published Oct.1, 2014. I highly recommend that agencies purchase, disseminate and model their approaches along these common sense guidelines. It really is not hard to stop violence against women and children in Kansas. We just have to want too.)

The Quincy Solution Will End Most Domestic Violence

http://stopabusecampaign.com/the-quincy-solution

A solution pioneered in Quincy, Massachusetts and perfected in San Diego, California and Nashville, Tennessee will prevent domestic violence and domestic murder, saving American taxpayers $500 Billion every year.

The original Quincy Model involved strict enforcement of criminal laws, protective orders and probation requirements together with practices that made it easier for women to leave their abusers and a coordinated community response when they did.

There were a few cases in which the complaining witness stopped cooperating with the prosecutor after the abuser sought custody.  This did not derail the success of Quincy because this was still a rare tactic.

Today seeking custody to regain control over victims is a standard abuser tactic and the Quincy Solution cannot be successful without preventing this tactic from undermining the efforts to prevent DV crime.  This could be done by educating and training court professionals based on ACE, Saunders and other research.  Sadly many courts are very defensive about criticism. (and why profit heavily by selling abuse victims into slavery with their abusers -cd)

The Safe Child Act requires courts to reform their practices and stop sending children to live with abusers.  This is accomplished by making the health and safety of children the courts first priority and by specifically stating this includes circumstances where children are placed in jeopardy such as witnessing domestic violence or separation from primary attachment figure. 

The legislation would also require the use of genuine experts and promotes a multi-disciplinary approach.

The Quincy Solution Is Based on The Quincy Court Model Domestic Abuse Program

Every year, more than one million women in the United States are beaten by husbands, lovers, or other men in their lives. By the 1980s, many police departments had begun to address domestic violence as a serious crime, but the court systems were not as forthcoming. Many jurisdictions still treated domestic abuse as domestic disputes (Domestic Dispute, Leads to SWAT Stand-off with Topeka Police Department) rather than domestic violence. 

Courts that condemned the beatings and murder of women by strangers employed a different standard for violent husbands and boyfriends. This attitude intimidated many abused women, causing them to reluctantly bring charges or to drop their case altogether. 

Restraining and stay-away orders against abusers were insufficient, and few men who violate these orders were actually convicted. Studies have documented that women and children are at their greatest risk when trying to leave an abusive relationship and therefore desperately need the court system to protect them.

In 1986, the First Justice of the Quincy Court, which serves seven suburban Boston communities, conducted an interview survey with some of the over one thousand battered and abused women seeking restraining orders. The study concluded that the Court needed to focus on empowering victims by developing procedures to make the legal process more "user friendly," while simultaneously controlling the abusers. These findings resulted in the creation of Quincy Court's Model Domestic Abuse Program in 1987, which protects battered women and children through court-based services and encourages victims to seek justice and safety by charging batterers. The program cultivates unique partnerships among the court, the district attorney, the probation department, the police, battered women's shelters, batterers' treatment groups, and drug and alcohol recovery centers to address every aspect of this complex problem.

Quincy Court's Model Domestic Abuse Program encourages battered women to work within the justice system by revamping it to respond to the victim's specific needs. To ensure that abused women understand how to use the system, the district attorney's office conducts daily briefing sessions to explain to victims their rights; it also arranges for advocates to accompany victims to the court. To expedite hearings and minimize waiting, the Quincy Court holds two special sessions each day so victims can obtain restraining orders. A separate office staffed by women who are experts in domestic abuse helps victims find the additional support and social services.

 The Court not only empowers victims but also cracks down on abusers. A probation program routinely confiscates weapons and strictly enforces orders prohibiting alcohol and drug use, using random testing to monitor compliance. Offenders who continue to threaten violence against their victims are brought to court and sentenced immediately. Many batterers also utilize outside services and are often sent to specialized treatment programs for substance abuse and rehabilitation. 

 Between 1987 and 1992, the number of women seeking restraining orders from the Quincy Court doubled, and these victims persevered in pressing their cases two to three times more often than women in other jurisdictions. The number of abusers placed on supervised probation rose from 35 in 1986 to more than 200 in 1992. The most significant measure of the program's success has been the decline in deaths from battering. In 1991, the Quincy Court district had no domestic homicides, but nearby Essex County, with a similar population and size, experienced 15 domestic murders. 

As domestic violence in the district continues to drop, strengthening the Court's reputation, more and more women are seeking help, appearing at court hearings, entering support groups, and taking out criminal charges. Victims no longer fall through the cracks, but rather are actively participating in the judicial process, reclaiming their lives, and helping others to follow their path to safety.