michael r. pozesny (c) 20061 an introduction to family violence week 6 michael pozesny, phd (abd)...

Michael R. Pozesny (c) 2006 1

An Introduction to Family Violence – Week 6

Michael Pozesny, PhD(ABD) M.Sc.,R-CPCT, CAMS, MRT, POST


The Duluth DV-Related Misdemeanor Sentencing Recommendation Matrix

• Level 1: Victim-Initiated ViolenceThe offender is the victim of ongoing abuse

and has used violence as a method of coping, resisting, or defending self. The offender’s violence will likely stop if the violence against him/her ends.

There is no indication that the offender’s violence is part of an ongoing battering behavior or pattern of intimidation and abuse.



• Level 2: Isolated IncidentThe offender has committed an offense against

the victim, but there is no history or evidence to suggest the offender is battering the victim

The violence is uncharacteristic of the offender’s typical behavior.



• Level 3: Low Level of BatteringThe offender is engaged in abusive and controlling behaviors.

The level of violence is low.

There are no indicators that the violence is escalating.



• Level 4: Substantial battering:• This person is engaging in significant abusive and

controlling behaviors.• The violence or threats are serious acts.• The violence appears dangerous or increasing in

severity.



• Level 5: High-Risk battering and likelihood of serious bodily harm

This case indicates potential lethal violence.


Preparing for the Assessment

• Review policy and proceduresAgency protocol which ensures they will have

access to the information and resources needed to conduct such an assessment and sets out procedures for conducting them

• Understand the dynamics of family violenceBe familiar with the ways victims and offenders

respond to the assessment process.



• Review effective techniquesFV assessment interviews can be difficult to conduct because of the parties’ reactions to violence becoming public.

• Review reportsIt is essential to read all reports available about the presenting incident as well as about those previously reported.



• Schedule separate interviewsIf you work for an agency do not schedule

the interviews togetherIf possible interview the apparent victim

before the suspected offenderThe practitioner may want to interview the

couple’s children



• Consult with the victim advocate/liaison

Collaboration with the victim liaison in the community is an essential part of the practitioner's role throughout the intervention


Preparing to Interview the Offender

• Common reactions of the offender to the Assessment Process:Denying the occurrence of violenceMinimizing the frequency, severity, and/or impact of the violenceBlaming the victim for the violence


Techniques for Conducting Assessments

• Avoid personal biasBe aware of your own values, attitudes, and behaviors about women and menMen and Women’s role in societyFamily violenceYour opinions about the parties involved in each case.



• Remain neutral• Avoid adversarial interactions

Assessments should not be conducted as if they are legal investigations of FV.The focus of the assessment is not to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who is telling the truth but to gather information.



• Be consistentBe consistent in your approach to each of the parties involved in the incident

• Use plain languageBe directAvoid using therapeutic or FV terminology that is not part of the subject’s vocabulary


The Assessment Process

• Set ground rules for facilitating• Develop rapport with the client• Assess the client’s motivation for treatment• Assess the client’s suitability for treatment• Provide immediate behavioral interventions

for violence control


The Assessment Process

• Assess the client’s risk for future violence• Make collateral contacts with other

professionals involved with the client• Provide the client with informed consent for

counseling• Develop treatment plan in cooperation with

client


Informed Consent

• Telling the client about you and your level of experience and expertise

• Telling the client the realistic limits of FVIPs• Setting and communicating the expected rules of conduct• A specific statement of the seriousness of family violence

while also presenting a sobering statement about the real chance that violence will continue and may become more serious over time.


Confidentiality

• Limitations of confidentialityMandated reportingChild abuseAdult dependent or elder abuseThreats to others

• Reoffenses:Reporting reoffenses to the court or probation, of additional acts of violence by a client, can result in dire consequences only one of which may include incarceration.


Developing Rapport

• Why is developing rapport with FV perpetrators problematic?

• Building rapport:Be sensitive/genuineBe empathetic (does not mean collusion)

You must walk the fine line between support, understanding on one side and setting limits

on the other.


Evaluating the Motivation of the Court-Mandated Client

• Questions to evaluate concrete or observable behaviors for motivation:

Does the client attend the scheduled appointments?Does the client complete the necessary paperwork?Does this client cooperate (answer questions) during the

clinical interview?Does this client provide the counselor with necessary names

of collateral contacts?


Evaluating the Motivation of the Court-Mandated Client

• Questions to evaluate concrete or observable behaviors for motivation:

Does this client completely acknowledge responsibility for violence or express remorse?

Does this client verbally express a desire for counseling?Does this client continue perpetuating violence between the

assessment interview and group attendance?


Assessment of Suitability Summary

• Does this client have a history of lethal violence or of causing severe injuries to self and others?

• Does this client evidence enough control over behavior to benefit from a one-a-week group?

• Does this person have a psychoactive substance abuse problem?

• Does this person have a psychiatric problem pacing his in need of medication or other treatment interventons?



• Does this client have any learning, physical or developmental disabilities that may interfere with the educational component of the program?

• Is this client in a state of severe psychosocial crisis?

• Does this client have a history of treatment failures?



• Does this client have a sexual orientation, ethnicity, or gender which is different from the average person in your group?

• Does this client have transportation problems?• Does this person have the kind of work schedule

that makes attending weekly sessions difficult?


Typical Reactions of Abusers to the Assessment Process

• Denying the occurrence of violence• Minimizing the frequency, severity, and/or

impact of violence• Blaming the victim for the violence


Beginning the Interview

• Introduce self• Provide an explanation of the interview

- the subsequent intervention process- required client notifications


Starting the Interview

• “I want to talk with you about what happens when you are in a conflict with (partner). I will be asking you several questions about typical kinds of conflicts and focus on what you can do during these conflicts. Then we can talk about other things that you think I should know about.”


Starting the Interview

• “This might not always be pleasant. I am going to ask you about things you have said or done that you are probably not proud of but I am trying to get an idea of what is happening that is destructive and harmful to your relationship. If you don’t like the way I am asking questions or you think I am making judgments, just stop and we will talk about it.”


Engaging Men to Take Responsibility: Invite the Man to Address His Violence

• Ask the man to help you understand the events which led up to him making an appointment.

• This may include step by step details of who did what, when, where, and how at various points in time.


The Presenting Incident:Questions Focus on 6 Areas

• The offender’s version of the incident.• Corroborating, conflicting, and additional

information• Self-defense actions• Injuries• The presence of others during the incident• An initial understanding of the pattern of abuse in

the relationship


Example of Starting the Incident Description by the Client

• Please take a few minutes to describe the incident on (date). I need to know only briefly what led up to the incident, but I would especially like to hear from you who did what. What did you do? What did she do? (Keep him focused on the actions and probe to get details.)



• You said you yelled at her. How loud were you? What were you thinking. What were you trying to get accomplished by yelling? What else happened?



• You said there was some [shoving and pushing]. Can you describe it? How did you push her?

• I am especially interested in knowing about the force, threats, or intimidation that were used. Can you describe them in detail?


History and Pattern of Violence and Abuse

• In this part of the interview it is essential you look for the following:The history and pattern of violence or abuse in the

relationship including its frequency and severity and changes in the types or patterns of abuse.The impact of the abuse and the victim’s level of fearThe risk of ongoing future harm in the domestic settingDefine sexual violence and psychological violence to

establish a baseline understanding


Questions for Exploring Violent History

• Tell me about another incident of physical violence in the past year

• Tell me about the most violent incident that has occurred

• Tell me about the incident that most frightened you or your partner the most.


Questions for Exploring Violent History

• Tell me about he first incident you remember• Based on our definition of sexual violence, are

here any incidents of this violence you can think of?

• Based on our definition of psychological violence, are there any incidents you can remember?


Questions for Clarification of Details

• You say you came home and “…lost it.” What do you mean by this?

• You say you grabbed her and it was over. How did you grab her?

• You say you don’t remember anything. Tell me about what you do remember. For example, what was the last thing you remember before you lost your memory? What was the first thing you remember when you regained your memory?



• You said you pushed her and then you left. How did you push her? What happened to her? What kinds of things were you saying when you were pushing her?

• After you punched her what did you do? What did you do after that? After that?



• What injuries resulted from the incident?• How did your partner react emotionally to your violence?• What did you and your partner do afterwards?


Relationship History

• Transition into this section:

When did you meet?What was it like when you first met?What are the biggest problems in your relationship now?When did those problems start?



• Focus on:

Frequency of abuseHow often does each type of abuse occur?Is there any pattern to the occurrence of abuse?The severity of abuse



• Changes in the pattern• Worst incident first incident, most recent incident• Impact on the victim, offender, children, and

others• Level of fear



• Lead in:“I want to get a picture of how you operate as a couple.”“Are there people that (partner) spends time with that you rather she didn’t? Who are they? Why would it be better she didn’t see them? Do you have fights about this? Can you describe those fights? What things have you done to get her to stop seeing ____ that you think were helpful and not damaging to ____ or anyone else? What things have you done that have been harmful?”



• Has her working or going to school or belonging to some group ever caused conflict?

• Do you ever have conflicts about how much time she spends on the phone or people she is talking to?

• Do you ever get jealous? Describe what you are thinking when you get jealous? How do you define jealousy?

• How do you let her know you are jealous?• How do you want her to react to your jealousy? How does

she react? Then what happens?



• You have gone from living together to living separately. What has made that difficult for you?

• Does she know you are having a hard time? How have you let her know that?

michael r. pozesny (c) 20061 an introduction to family violence week 6 michael pozesny, phd (abd)...

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