A Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence

1. A Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence Duluth Minnesota Elsa Chiu HKCSS

2. The Duluth Model Background 1970s First shelter opened in the States • Advocacy groups, the press, lawmakers, researchers, academia and the public, leader in different disciplines • recognized the need to develop and implement new policies and protocols to protect victims Background

3. The Duluth Model Background 1978 A domestic abuse case Cindy Landfried was battered for 3 yrs, finally she shot and kill her husband. • propose a proactive domestic assault intervention project • Duluth as the site for an experimental project • introduce multiple inter-agency agreements to improve the community’s ability to hold offenders accountable for their violence. Background

4. The Duluth Model Background March 2, 1981 • The priority is always the victims safety. • Launch Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP) • Adopt policies and procedures to coordinate interventions • Use legal sanctions, rehabilitation programs and incarceration when necessary Background

5. Critical Success Factors • Community consensus • Resource support • Trust and support • Autonomous, non-profit agency and small coordinating staff (interest free, neutral position) • Small community Critical Success Factors

6. The Duluth Model A comprehensive community-based project widely recognized as a model in confronting domestic assault • A criminal justice intervention project in domestic violence cases. • A system of • Networks • Agreements • processes • applied principles created by local shelters movement, criminal justice agencies and human services programs. Background

7. Aims Advocate for collective interest of women, instead of individual case to case • To increase victim safety • To increase accountability of the perpetrators • To break the climate of tolerance to domestic violence Aims

8. The five core principles of intervention Clear and specific goals provided a consistent stance • burden of confronting abusers--the community, not the victim • individual practitioners -- cooperative, guided by training, job descriptions and standardized practices • responsive to the totality of harm • Priority -- Protection of the victim • basic understanding of and a commitment to accountability to the victim Principles

9. 8 Essential Activities Building a Coordinated Community Response composes of community organizing and advocacy • Building coherent philosophical approach (Focus on victim safety) • Developing “best practice” policies and protocols • Reducing fragmentation • Building monitoring and tracking system • Ensuring a supportive community infrastructure; • Intervening abusers directly • Undoing harm to the victims; • Evaluating the outcome(the victims’ standpoint) Activities

10. DAIP Organizing Process • Talk • Watch • Read • Work in small group • Propose changes • Convince policy makers • Test new ideas & make adjustments • Organize training • Monitor compliance • Document Impact Agency audit Implementation Evaluation Organizing Process

11. The Duluth Model (2003) Minnesota Program Development, Inc. • Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (Coordinate the Community Response) • Men’s Non-violence Education Class / CrossRoads Program • Domestic Abuse Information Network (DAIN) • Child Visitation Centre • National Training Project Content

12. Medical Law enforcement Judiciary Com. organizations Judiciary Com. organizations Pence (1996). Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Assault Cases: A Guide for Policy Development. MN :Minnesota Program Development, Inc.

13. DAIP Staff Counselor & group facilitators 911 communication centre The Police The prosecutors / probation officers Public health nurse Feedback People in system Feedback

14. Feedback • Many people think it’s wrong for a woman to bring her partner to court for abuse. It’s NOT… Court don’t ruin relationships, violence does. (MIKE) • When I was arrested, I was mad at everyone…..These classes really helped me. I can see now what I was doing and I think I can deal with my problem a lot different now. (Dave)

15. Achievement • comprehensive community-based system intervention • strengthened criminal justice response • strong pro-arrest policy • consistent sentencing of perpetrators • Good victim advocacy and support • Mandatory attendance • Strong penalties. Achievement

16. Achievementinternational recognition on pioneering efforts • To alter public policy • To protect victims of domestic abuse • To offer rehabilitation opportunities for offenders Achievement

17. Issue of concerns Institutional change • any efforts changing the socio-cultural institution? • changing the perpetrators themselves? Criminal Justice approach? public health approach? • community prevention strategies? • influence of the media? • teenage? Issue of concern

18. Issue of concerns Other concerned professions • The medical practitioners ? • The Churches ? • The schools ? Issue of concern

19. Issue of concerns Monitoring • Professional compliance • Victim safety • Support to batterers Issue of concern

20. Is it necessary to further strengthen the system in responding to domestic violence in Hong Kong? HOW? Who? What? when? Where?

21. Websites • Victim Support, SWD(www.info.gov.hk/swd/vs) • E-resources, HKCSS(www.hkcss.org.hk/fs/er) • Minnesota Program Development Inc.(www.duluth-model.org) • Praxis International(www.praxisinternatinal.org) • Minnesota Center Against Violence & Abuse(www.mincava.umn.edu/). • The Battered Women's Justice Project(www.bwjp.org) Websites