Investor Presentaiton
Examples from Other States
THE BIG PICTURE
Domestic violence is one of the fastest growing violent crimes
in Utah. Findings from the 2010 publication, Domestic Vio-
lence Fatalities in Utah, 2003-2008, by the Utah Department
of Health's Violence and Injury Prevention Program and the
Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, include:
• 1 out of 3 adult homicides are domestic violence homicides.
• Females are 10 times more likely than males to die from
domestic violence.
• The majority of domestic violence homicides are committed
by males.
• While Hispanic persons comprise only 10% of Utah's
population, they account for 77% of domestic violence
victims.
• 52% of intimate partner homicides were premeditated.
• One-third of domestic violence perpetrators committed
suicide after committing a homicide.
• 91% of the domestic violence-related suicide victims
experienced a crisis prior
to the incident or faced
an impending crisis - the
most common of which
was facing a criminal legal
problem such as a recent
or impending arrest, police
pursuit, or an impending
criminal court date (32.7%).
In 44% of intimate partner
78%
of the 147 children directly
exposed to a homicide in
2003-2008 were age
violence incidents, one or more
5 or younger
children under age 18 were living at the victim's home at
the time of the incident (76 children total).
• 147 children under age 18 were directly exposed to the
homicide - they saw it, heard it through the walls, were
attacked or threatened during the incident, or discovered
the body. Of these children, 78% were 5 years old or
younger.
TRANSLATING DATA INTO ACTION
Better data provide more complete picture
of domestic violence deaths
A decade ago, it was difficult to know the extent of domestic
violence in Utah because of limited data. The Utah Violent
Death Reporting System (UTVDRS) has developed a more
complete picture of domestic violence and its tragic impact
on men, women, and children by:
⚫ fostering a strong partnership between the Utah
Department of Health's Violence and Injury Prevention
Program (VIPP) and the state's multi-disciplinary Domestic
Violence Fatality Review Committee (DVFRC), which
includes more than 9 agencies,
⚫ expanding domestic violence data collection beyond
the victim and suspect to include any intimate partner,
family member and/or roommate involved in the
incident,
⚫ combining national and state-specific intimate partner
violence variables to enable the UTVDRS to collect more -
and more detailed domestic violence-related data, and
• linking data in the UTVDRS to identify and review - for the
first time - when a domestic violence suspect committed
suicide after the homicide.
Linking children of victims to needed
services
Intimate partner violence is particularly damaging to children
who witness this violence. They are at greater risk of develop-
ing psychiatric disorders, developmental problems, school
failure, violence against others, and low self-esteem, and
younger children typically display
higher levels of distress than do
older children.
Through their collaboration
on the UTVDRS, the VIPP
and DVFRC helped inform
a policy change to close
a gap in services for the
children
ren of domestic
violence-related
homicide victims.
Following
recommendations from
UTVDRS
data expanded
to include any intimate
partner, family member or
roommate in incident
Worked with
state DFCS
to close gap
in services for
victim's children
Children of victims
now connected to
mental health &
other services
a Domestic Violence Fatality
Recommendations Symposium,
the VIPP and DVFRC worked with
the state Department of Children
and Family Services (DFCS) to increase
immediate referrals to DFCS at the time of a homicide -
usually by law enforcement investigating the death - if the
victim or perpetrator has one or more children in the home,
regardless if a child was present during the incident.
• These referrals enabled these children and their
families to receive an assessment and get connected
to intervention and follow-up services, such as mental
health services, to help cope with the homicide and other
domestic violence-related issues.
A referral to DFCS was made in 13 (46%) of the 28 intimate
partner violence incidents with children in the home during
2003-2008
•
•
•
Domestic violence in Utah is on of the fastest
growing violent crimes
In 44% of intimate partner violence incidents
one or more children under 18 were living in
the victim's home
78% of children exposed to the homicide
were age 5 or younger
Data into Action:
•
.
•
Expanded data collection to include intimate
partner, family member or roommate incident
Worked with the state department of children
and family services to close gap in services for
victim's children
Children of victims now connected to mental
health and other services
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