Organizing a Coordinated Community Response Using the Duluth Model

1. Organizing a Coordinated Community Response Using the Duluth Model Scott Miller Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP)

2. The Duluth Model The Duluth Model is an organizing method that prioritizes victim safety and offender accountability within a social change framework. The model guides organizers to build interventions within systems that are aligned with the lived experience of victims.

3. At some level, each agency will have to change Some agencies more than others. Plan, draft, review, approve, train, implement, monitor….and continue. Listening , learning and sharing will improve interventions and make it possible to create better partnerships.

4. Exercise in Listening and Learning In triads, ask the question: How have your parents influenced you as an adult?

5. Core Principles of Social Change Change is ongoing Approach as a social problem vs. a problem with an individual When organizing, ensure those subject to oppression are included in making changes to the conditions under which they live. Engage in dialogue vs. counsel and advise Create experiences that are liberating rather than dominating

6. “Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence. The means used are not important; to alienate human beings from their own decision-making is to change them into objects.” Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Ch. 2, p.66; Continuum, 1999

7. The Duluth Model - Informed by and Aligned with the Women’s Movement Analysis of power Integrate social/cultural contexts into interventions Consciousness raising Alignment with those who experience the violence Liberation

8. Battered Women’s Movement vs Domestic Violence Service Programs • Movement: • Problem is social • Intersectional understanding of problem • Addresses underlying causes of violence • Credibility comes from experience and commitment • Focus is primarily to serve/partner with those marginalized by violence to improve living conditions for all. • Service Programs • Problem is individual • Fragmented understanding of problem • Addresses symptoms created by violence • Credibility comes from degrees and position • Focus is primarily on organizing to sustain the service even if at the expense of those being served.

9. Battering and the Crime of Domestic Violence “Later, as laws were enacted in the U.S. to protect women and hold batterers accountable, “domestic violence” took on the gender-neutral meaning of any violence between partners occurring in the context of the home. As a result, every act of violence by one partner against another is now legally considered to be an act of domestic violence” (Pence and Dasgupta, 2006).

10. Context is Critical Failing to distinguish one kind of domestic violence from another can: • Endanger victims of ongoing violence • Result in inappropriate responses by law enforcement, prosecutors and the court, advocates, and counselors • Embolden perpetrators

11. The Three Types of Domestic Violence Battering Resistive Situational

12. Battering An ongoing, patterned use of intimidation, coercion and violence as well as other tactics of control to establish and maintain a relationship of dominance over an intimate partner. Battering is a systematic way of utilizing various tactics to restrict an intimate partner’s autonomy. It is much more than a simple attack.

13. Relevant Bits of Backstory The Power and Control Wheel was developed in 1984 in partnership with women who had been battered

14. Characteristics When Battering Is Used In An Intimate Relationship • Typically has an element of entrapment: “You can’t leave me without being punished.” • The power differential created by violence shapes all interactions between outsiders and family members. • Vulnerability to continued acts of violence influences a victims’ ability to speak freely, leave the relationship, or participate in system interventions.

15. Oppression and Resistance Partnership Dominance

16. Understanding Resistance in a System of Control Oppression Resistance

17. Facilitators of Violence Hierarchy – a social structure where one group or individual is set up to dominate others. Objectification – the process of reducing a person or group to an object. Horizontal Hostility – projecting the violence of oppression onto members of one’s own group. No Consequences – no consequence for violence.

18. Resistive violence Includes both legal and illegal use of force in response to their abuser’s coercive and controlling tactics, or in reaction to other men’s violence against them as women.

19. Resistive Violence Part of a victim’s broader strategy to stop (contain) the abuse: Negotiation Appeals to family and friends Appeasement Anger and hostility Separation Withdrawal Use of force

20. Non Battering Domestic Violence Is used by one intimate partner against the other and is neither an ongoing attempt to exert control, nor a response to control. It encompasses all other acts of domestic violence, which can be subdivided into categories like situational violence or violence that stems from mental health or chemical dependency issues.

21. Concepts and Theories Includes theories, assumptions and philosophical frameworks Conceptual practices are ingrained in language, assessment tools, and policies Concepts and theories are not owned by a specific individual—they are embedded in institutional practices

22. Concepts and Theories Why doesn’t she just leave? …She needs to change too How we understand domestic violence guides us in our decision making and frames how we will respond to the situation Using violence is a choice he’s making He is out of Control

23. The violence is caused by…. Pathology and Disorder Theories Relationship Theories Anger—Cycle of Violence Theory Dominance (Power & Control)

24. Individual Pathology The batterer has some kind of illness or diagnosis Batterer is the problem – not society Response: Individual psychiatric care, treatment for addiction, or therapy

25. Relationship Dysfunction “It takes two to tango” The couples are playing off each other Either could stop the violence Both parties are responsible Response: Couples counseling or relationship counseling separately

26. The Cycle of Violence Theory developed by Lenore Walker Tension-building phase Explosion of violence Honeymoon phase or respite Men socialized to use violence Increases in frequency and severity Popular theory, not supported by research Response: Anger management Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

27. Dominance System of power and control tactics Physical and sexual violence Other abusive behaviors such as emotional abuse Reinforced by the culture Need to balance the power differential by using the power of the state Response: Programs that focus on changing beliefs with tight sanctions by the criminal justice system Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

28. Understanding women who are victims of men’s battering

29. The Sandbag Exercise

30. What keeps victims from leaving or working with systems? Fear – for violence committed and what he has threatened to do if she leaves. Finance – she and her children rely on his money. They have no independent means to live away from him. Fantasy – She remembers how he treated her when they first met. He says he loves her and he makes promises to change. “Because he was nice in the beginning, he might change…”

31. What keeps victims from leaving or working with systems? Father – She knows how much the children love/want him. She wants them to know their father. The father has threatened to take/harm the children if she leaves. Family –She’s scared to lose her family or be told it’s her fault the relationship ended. Faith – her religion may tell her to submit and to forgive his violence. She may have been told her God-given role as a woman is to keep the family together.

32. Factors that can keep women with disabilities from leaving their abuser People with disabilities may take longer to decide to leave due to a lack of community resources or awareness of resources. People with disabilities may rely on others for food, medication, finances and personal care that are necessary for their independence and survival. Leaving may be complicated due to a lack of accessible housing/transportation.

33. Factors that can keep women with disabilities from leaving their abuser Many people with disabilities share a common experience learned from the community around them which says they are: • Defective • Unable to survive on their own • Stupid • Can’t make it without help These are the same messages men who batter use against their partners which is powerful due to her experience of living with these messages in her life.

35. Understanding the Risks that Men Who Batter Pose to Their Families

36. Predictors for Re-offense • Gender • Time - within first 6 months • Younger defendants • A prior record for any crime makes him 7 times morel likely commit another domestic assault • Being gone on arrival makes him twice as likely to commit another domestic assault • On warrant for a prior domestic assault Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

37. Predictors for Re-offense • Alcohol/drug abuse • Victims perception of risk • Unemployed, economically disadvantaged • Live in a house with firearms • Abuser is not the father of children in home Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

38. Predictors of Domestic Homicide #1 – Firearms increase lethal violence 6 times over nonlethal violence. Men who threatened to use firearms were 20 times more likely to kill than men who didn’t. Two thirds of men who killed their partners had illegal firearms due to prior domestic assault convictions or an active protective order. Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

39. Predictors of Domestic Homicide Risk factors that increase lethality 5 times over nonlethal violence. • Threats to kill • Prior attempts to strangle • Forced sex • Escalating physical violence over time • Partner control over victims daily activities Assessing Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide, National Institute of Justice Journal 250

40. Impact of Arrest on Re-offense Arrest has consistently shown to deter re-abuse regardless of reporting party or level of charge. Alternatively, the highest re-abuse rates occurred when law enforcement left the arrest up to the victim. Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

41. Impact of Prosecution on Re-offence Prosecution alone without regard to an offenders risk does not deter criminal behavior. Prosecution that involves attention to risk and intrusive sanctions like jail and probation and batterer treatment deter domestic assault. Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

42. What is a Judge to Do? Judges who review risk factors from police reports or protective orders will improve bail/pre-trial release decisions and sanctions at sentencing. Judges should look for past criminal records when making a determination of sanctions on protective orders. Judges should not weigh victim preferences at sentencing as a predictor of risk. Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008

43. What is a Judge to Do? Judges who give deferrals to “first time” offenders will see 25% back with another assault. Judicial demeanor makes a difference in protective order retention and cooperation with prosecution.

44. How to Predict Risk Accurately “The research consistently finds that the basic information usually available on most defendants provides as accurate a prediction of abuser risk to the victim as more extensive and time consuming investigations involving more sources, including clinical assessments.” Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Andrew Klein 2008 - Heckert, D. & Gondolf, E. (June 2004) Battered Women’s Perceptions of Risk Versus Risk Factors and Instruments in Predicting Repeat Reassault, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19

45. Day Two The Duluth Model and Coordinating a Community Response to Domestic Violence

46. CCR Organizing Models Coordinating Councils Grant driven criminal justice projects Duluth Model

47. Coordinating Councils A group of governmental and community based agencies that form a committee that meets typically once per month to discuss cases, events, problems. • The structure and agenda tends to be led by a criminal justice agency or figure. • The power of the group tends to lean criminal justice because of who is in the room. • Problems tend to get defined by how they impact the criminal justice system as opposed to victims. • Hard to name interagency response gaps due to the number of group members present. • Coordinating Councils tend to have high turnover and low commitment.

48. Grant Driven Justice Projects • Grantee tends to be a criminal justice agency who hires or appoints a coordinator to execute the goals and objectives of the grant. • Grant is usually awarded to a particular project to improve or add a response. • Goals and objectives are accomplished if the response is put in place (new police driven risk assessment, domestic violence court, training judges, specialized investigators, etc.). • The organizing time limited ends with the completion of grant. • Typically no ongoing monitoring or evaluation of impact whether it be in victims, offenders or the overall response.

49. CD Assessment Psych/Mental Health Parenting Education Visitation Individual/Family Therapy DV Classes CP Case Mgmt EPC Hearing Service Plan Emergency Placement Safety Plan Risk Assessment Safety Assessment Court Oversees and Sanctions Plan Conditions of Release CHIPS COURT Child Placement No Contact Order Arraignment Hearing Pre-Trial/ Hearing Trial Sentencing Monitoring/Probation Initial Intervention Unit Contacted Child Protection Screening Jail CP Investigation Arrest Report Non-Arrest Report Child Welfare Assessment Child Maltreatment Assessment Arrest No Arrest Law Enforcement Notified Judge Reviews Squads Investigate 911 Call Advocacy Program Files OFP Sheriff Serves Respondent Civil Court Hearing Ex Parte Denied Ex Parte Granted Files for Divorce Seeks Shelter Landlord/HRA Notified Family Court Hearing Warning Given Sheriff Evicts OFP Granted OFP Denied Interviews by Evaluator Temporary Custody Eviction Hearing OFP Filed Custody Hearing Custody Awarded Custody Evaluation Supervised Exchange/Visitation Final Divorce Hearing Child Support Established Reliefs Granted Praxis International, 218-525-0487, www.praxisinternational.org

50. The Duluth Model The Duluth Model creates a distinctive form of organized public response to domestic violence. It is characterized by: • Clearly identifiable and largely shared assumptions and theories about the source of battering and the effective means to deter it. • Empirically tested intervention strategies that build safety and accountability into all elements of processing cases of violence. • Well defined methods of inter-agency cooperation guided by advocacy programs.