module 1
Family Violence Protocol
Integrated Training for Law Enforcement,
Social Services, and Advocates
overview and the link
Merced County Human Services Agency
HSA-SAS mod1link.ppt (5/07)
Contents
 What? Why? How? Who?
 Connections
• Common Charges
• Key Governing Statutes
 What is . . . ?
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Domestic Violence
Child Abuse and Neglect
Elder Abuse
Animal Abuse
“The Link”
 Research Proves It
 Working Together
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What?
Why?
How?
Who?
Protocol Defined
 Family Violence Protocol represents a new
way of doing business.
 Cutting edge agreement addressing link
between all forms of family violence:
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Domestic Violence
Child Abuse and Neglect
Adult and Elder Abuse
Animal Abuse
 Covers all of Merced County.
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Why It Matters
 Child abuse and domestic violence often cooccur in the same family.
 Law enforcement, child welfare, and domestic
violence advocates need to communicate and
collaborate to keep victims safe.
 District Attorney and Court depend on good
reports in order to successfully prosecute.
 All parties agreed on need for better
procedures for cross-reporting.
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How We Did It
 Part of Children’s Action Plan.
 Led by Child Abuse and Family Violence
Prevention Council—Human Services Agency
and A Woman’s Place.
 September 2005 through June 2006
• Fifteen meetings with team to develop and test
ideas.
 August 2006
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• Family Violence Protocol was signed by all local
police chiefs, Sheriff, District Attorney, Superior
Court, Human Services Agency, Probation,
Agriculture Commissioner, and A Woman’s Place.
Who Was Involved
Forty-four participants:
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 Law enforcement dispatch, investigation,
commanders, and chiefs
 Human Services Agency (Child Welfare and
Adult Protective Services social workers)
 A Woman’s Place
 District Attorney
 Probation
 Animal Control
 Judge
Connections
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Family Violence Protocol
Domestic
Violence
Child Abuse
and Neglect
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PROTOCOL
Animal
Abuse
Adult and
Elder Abuse
Common Charges
 Assault
 Rape
 Abuse of spouse, former
spouse, cohabitant
 Unlawful sexual intercourse—
statutory rape
 Rape of a child—lewd and
lascivious acts with a child
 Felony or misdemeanor child
endangerment
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 Annoying or molesting a child
 Aggravated trespassing—
forcible entry
 Threats—criminal threats—
stalking—harassment—
annoying telephone calls
 Malicious destruction of a
telephone line or wireless
communication device
 Violation of a protective order
 Firearm violations
 Elder abuse
 Cruelty to animals
Key Governing Statutes
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 PC §12028.5: Taking Temporary Custody of Firearm
at Scene of Family Violence Incident allows law
enforcement to take temporary custody of any
firearm/deadly weapon for the protection of peace
officer or others present.
 PC § § 13700 et seq.: Law Enforcement Response
to Domestic Violence require law enforcement to
develop policies and standards for responding to
domestic violence.
 PC § 836: Peace Officer’s Authority to Arrest Under
Warrant or Without Warrant: Explanation During
Domestic Violence Calls of Citizen’s Arrest Rights;
Arrest Without a Warrant of Person Violating
Protective Order; Assault and Battery Arrests Without
Warrant.
Key Governing Statutes (Cont.)
 PC § § 1116, 11165.7 – PC 11165.14, PC 11166 et
seq.,11174.3: Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting
Act and WIC § 15656 defines child abuse and neglect
and mandates that allegations be reported to Child
Welfare Services and/or law enforcement.
 PC § 368 and WIC § 15656 defines abuse and
neglect of elders and dependent adults.
 PC § 11199 allows employees of county child and
adult protective service agencies to report suspected
animal abuse to be investigated.
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What is . . .?
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Domestic Violence
 Domestic Violence is a wide variety of
behaviors used by individuals to exert
power and control, through fear and
intimidation, over their intimate partners,
former partners, or family members.
 Domestic Violence or battering includes:
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Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Psychological abuse
Any other tactics employed to reinforce
control over the victim
Child Abuse and Neglect
Child Abuse and Neglect is:
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Physical injury
Sexual maltreatment
Emotional maltreatment
Deprivation of necessities under
circumstances indicating the child’s welfare
is harmed or threatened
Elder Abuse
Elder abuse and neglect is any form of
mistreatment that results in harm or loss
to an older person including:
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Physical harm
Sexual abuse
Financial exploitation
Emotional or verbal abuse
Neglect, including self-neglect
Abandonment
Animal Abuse
Animal abuse is:
• The crime of inflicting physical pain,
suffering or death on an animal, usually a
tame one, beyond necessity for normal
discipline.
• Can include neglect that is so monstrous
(withholding food and water) that the animal
has suffered, died or been put in imminent
danger of death.
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“The Link”
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 Over the past decade, the link between
animal abuse, child abuse, elder abuse
and domestic violence has become
clearer.
 Numerous studies have found violent
criminals and serial killers to be common
perpetrators of animal abuse.
 Since abusers aim to hurt anything
victims hold dear, family pets are also
popular targets.
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Research
Proves It
Research shows that
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 Domestic violence and child
maltreatment often co-occur in the same
family.
 There is a correlation between violence
toward humans and animals.
 Animal abuse is a red flag for human
abuse.
 Violent criminals share a common
history of brutal parental punishment
and cruelty to animals.
The Link Personified
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 Ted Bundy mutilated animals as a child.
 Jeffrey Dahmer killed neighborhood
pets, nailed frogs on trees and impaled
the heads of dogs on sticks.
 Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler,
trapped pets in crates and then shot
them with a bow and arrow.
 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
(Columbine High School) both had
histories of animal cruelty.
Pets and the Family
 Pets are beaten or killed in order to
coerce or intimidate the victim with the
message, “You could be next.”
 Batterers may coerce children into
silence regarding sexual abuse with
threats to kill pets.
 Batterers engage in bestiality or force
victims to engage in bestiality as a form
of humiliation.
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Similarities between
Animal and Human Abuse
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 Power and control; preying on those more
vulnerable.
 Risk of physical and psychological injury.
 Unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, marks.
 Behavior changes such as regression, relapse
in training.
 Failure-to-thrive, withdrawing, passive.
 Hostile to others, untrusting.
 Desperate to please anyone showing kindness.
 May still show love for the abuser.
 Running away.
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Working
Together
We Can Work Together. . .
 By recognizing that many times a
family is seen by multiple agencies.
 First responders and investigators
trained in cross-reporting and
documentation procedures.
 Investigators recognizing their unique
position in breaking the cycle of
violence.
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Module 1
Overview of the Link
Family Violence Protocol
#1Integrated Training for Law Enforcement,
Social Services, and Advocates