Children and Family Violence:
Effective Interventions Now
Presentation to 'Children and Family Violence' Conference
4-5 July 1999
SEOND DAY LAST SESSION "BROADENING HORIZONS"
TITLE: CHILD WITNESS PILOT PROJECT
Three speakers:
Linda Taylor (CYPFA)
Sarah Hill (NCIWR)
JJ Taylor (Police)
JJ Taylor's speech notes
INTRODUCTION: IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE STANDING HERE TODAY AS ONE OF THE PARTNERS IN THIS JOINT PROJECT. I AM FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH SUCH GREAT PEOPLE, AND I TOO ACKNOWLDGE THE GREAT CONTRIBUTION OF HEATHER HENARE TO THIS PROJECT.
IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS FROM WITNESSING FAMILY VIOLENCE, HEATHER AND I CONDUCTED BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH ON BOTH POLICE AND CYPFA FILES.
THE RESEARCH RESULTS SHOWED SOME INTERESTING FACTS AND HELPED TO IDENTIFY A SET OF RISK INDICATORS.
FOR INSTANCE I FOUND WHEN CHECKING POLICE FAMILY VIOLENCE FILES THAT MANY CONTAINED LITTLE OR NO INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN OR YOUNG PERSONS WHO WERE PRESENT OR RESIDED WITH THE VICTIM.
POLICE STAFF REPORT ANY FAMILY VIOLENCE ON A FORM CALLED A POL 400. SOME 34,500 OF THESE WERE ENTERED INTO OUR POLICE COMPUTER SYSTEM DURING 1998.
I LOOKED AT 166 OF THESE WHERE CHILDREN OR YOUNG PERSONS WHO WERE PRESENT OR RESIDED WITH THE VICTIM.
THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 391 CHILDREN OR YOUNG PERSONS RECORDED ON THOSE FORMS AS RESIDING WITH THE VICTIM. THIS GAVE AN AVERAGE OF JUST OVER 2 CHILDREN BEING PRESENT EACH TIME THE POLICE ATTEND, WITH THESE CHILDREN USUALLY BEING AGED UNDER 10 YEARS.
I CHECKED OUR POLICE RECORDS IN RELATION TO THESE POL 400s AND FOUND THAT FOR NEARLY HALF (45.2%) OF THESE 166 FAMILY VIOLENCE OFFENCES AND INCIDENTS THAT WE HAD ATTENDED, WE HAVE BEEN THERE PREVIOUSLY. AND WITH ONE IN FIVE OF THEM, WE HAD BEEN THERE THREE TO FIVE TIMES PREVIOUSLY, AND WITH SIX PERCENT WE HAD BEEN THERE TEN OR MORE TIMES PREVIOUSLY.
I ALSO HAD THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS ON THESE 166 POL 400S CHECKED FOR CRIMINAL COURT HISTORIES. I FOUND THAT NEARLY HALF OF THEM (46.4%) HAD ONE OR MORE PREVIOUS COURT CONVICTION, NOT ONLY FOR VIOLENCE BUT SEVENTY PER CENT OF THEM HAD A CONVICTION FOR DISHONESTY.
MOST INTERESTING TO ME WAS THAT NEARLY ONE IN EVERY THREE (30%) OF THE MALE ADULTS HAD A DOMESTIC PROTECTION ORDER AGAINST THEM.
AS I SAID EARLIER, ALL THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THIS RESEARCH HELPED TO IDENTIFY A SET OF RISK INDICATORS. THESE INDICATORS IDENTIFIED THE LEVEL OF RISK THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS WERE FACING AS A RESULT OF BEING WITNESSES TO FAMILY VIOLENCE.
THIS HAS LEAD TO A NEW SAFETY ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL APPROACH BEING DEVELOPED.
THESE RISK FACTORS WERE REFINED INTO A NEW SAFETY ASSESSMENT FORM FOR USE BY POLICE OFFICERS WHEN THEY ATTEND ANY FAMILY VIOLENCE WHERE CHILDREN OR YOUNG PERSONS ARE PRESENT OR WHERE THEY NORMALLY RESIDE.
WE WERE GREATLY ASSISTED IN THIS DEVLOPMENT BY CYPFA's RISK ESTIMATION TEAM AND ALSO BY THE POLICE FAMILY VIOLENCE COORDINATORS.
THIS SAFETY ASSESMENT AND REFERRAL FORM IS CURRENTLY BEING TRIALLED IN FIVE AREAS - THE FAR NORTH (BOTH KAITAIA AND KAIKOHE), WEST AUCKLAND, WANGANUI, NELSON, AND SOUTH CANTERBURY.
OUR THREE AGENCIES HAVE CONDUCTED JOINT TRAINING IN EACH OF THESE PILOT AREAS TO EACH OTHER'S STAFF PRIOR TO THE PILOT'S STARTING.
THE SAF TRAIL WILL RUN FOR SIX MONTHS. IT WILL BE EVALUATED BEFORE BEING INTRODUCED NATION-WIDE.
INTERESTINGLY THIS SAME SAFETY ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL PROCESS COULD EASILY BE ADOPTED, I BELIEVE, TO OTHER SECTORS SUCH AS HEALTH AND EDUCATION, BUT BASED ON THEIR RELEVANT RISK INDICATORS.
THE DEFINITION OF "CHILD ABUSE" UNDER THE CHILDREN, YOUNG PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIES ACT 1989 DOES NOT GREATLY DIFFER FROM THE DEFINITION OF 'DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" UINDER THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT 1995.
UNDER THE REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE PROVISIOJNS OF THE CYP&F ACT, BOTH A MEMBER OF POLICE AND A SOCIAL WORKER (AS EMPLOYED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE) HAVE THE SAME RESPONSIBILITY.
SECTION 15 OF THE CYP&F ACT CLEARLY INTENDS FOR EACH AGENCY, BOTH POLICE AND CYPFA, TO EACH SEPERATELY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNDERTAKING AN INVESTIGATION, OR ARRANGING FOR AN INVESTIGATION TO BE CONDUCTED INTO THAT REPORTED CHILD ABUSE, HAVING RECEIVED SUCH A REPORT.
GIVEN THAT CHILD ABUSE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE MEAN THE SAME, THIS IS THE SECTION THAT WE ARE USING TO CHANGE POLICE FAMILY VIOLENCE PRACTICE BY CHECKING FOR AND COMPLETING THIS NEW SAFETY ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL PROCESS.
THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL STEP IN OUR FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICE DELIVERY. IT IS AIMED AT REDUCING THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS OF WITNESSING FAMILY VIOLENCE.
I AM HAPPY TO SHARE ANY DOCUMENTS OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. THANKYOU.
Ends.
Contact details:
JJ TAYLOR
NATIONAL FAMILY VIOLENCE COORDINATOR
POLICE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
P O BOX 3017
WELLINGTON
PHONE DDI (04) 495-1312
FAX (04) 474-9417