Between 2015 and 2017, domestic violence cases increased by more than 13%, including violence committed by both intimate partners and family members1. While domestic violence awareness and prevention have become more prevalent in recent years, the response to victims of domestic violence will always need to be improved to ensure that providers, law enforcement, and prosecutors are meeting the unique needs of victims.
Domestic violence is nuanced, with aspects that often make it a sensitive and complicated issue for responses from law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals.
Victims may come from all demographics, including gender identity, disability status, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and more. These cases are not cut and dry, and victims may have complicated relationships, family dynamics, economic entanglement with the defendant, or complicated feelings about investigations or resolutions of situations.
Often, a victim’s first introduction to the justice system is through the interactions they have with law enforcement and prosecutors. Building strong relationships built on trust and transparency is key in supporting victims of domestic violence. This relationship-building will be integral to ensuring that victims get the support they need, they feel safe in disclosing the abuse they have experienced, and they have a clear understanding of how the system works.
Victims are often asked why they chose not to leave, how this could have happened, what they did to provoke the abuser, and other questions that can lead to victim-blaming and shame. This type of questioning can lead to survivors feeling unsupported and can lead to a lack of trust in the criminal justice system.
Using a trauma-informed approach to working with victims of domestic violence can both help law enforcement officers and prosecutors achieve their desired outcomes and provide support to survivors. This course is intended to provide SJC sites tools and strategies to foster support for victims throughout the criminal justice process.
