When Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright trains police officers on responding to domestic violence calls, he has one ask: Have a "give a damn approach." Officers and anyone working with those affected by domestic violence, he says, must be sensitive about victims' fears of their abuser retaliating, and an understanding of the ongoing cycle of violence in which offenders can trap victims. He tells officers to respond to victims' calls swiftly and thoroughly, without shaming or doubting victims who have trouble leaving abusive relationships, even if they've called for help before.
"Take some pictures, for God's sake. Do the same investigation you do in a burglary," Carnright tells me. "A call today for a low-level domestic violence incident, the next time [the victim] calls, this could be a homicide. Statistically, that's what happens. These cases escalate."
More than 10 million women and men throughout the country are abused each year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; domestic abuse now accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime.
[For more on this story by NATALIE PATTILLO, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...ombat-domestic-abuse]
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