Domestic Violence

Course Title

Investigating the Domestic Violence Case

Course Description

This Investigating the Domestic Violence Case course is designed to provide officers with a comprehensive overview of issues surrounding domestic violence. First, this course discusses safety considerations, instructing students how to act as responding officers while staying safe. Upon arrival, a proper threat assessment must be conducted. Important factors and danger signs to look for are described, as well as profiles of domestic murders. Perpetrators will often use a variety of techniques against both the victim and officer, and these behavioral characteristics are detailed through the Power and Control Wheel.An in-depth look at dating violence educates students about its occurrence, comparing teen, adult, and elderly dating violence. Officers learn how to respond to dating violence calls and how to identify and collect evidence. This course then explains how to avoid making dual arrests, incorporating discussions about probable cause, predominant aggressors, and self defense. Students learn about strangulation cases and the signs of strangulation, damage that can be incurred, and how to handle interviews and evidence. In regards to stalking, stalking behaviors, mentalities, and reactions are described, as well as the laws related to stalking and appropriate police response. As domestic violence also relates to children, officers learn about how children are used by batterers and the harmful effects of domestic violence on children. Procedures for interviewing and responding to children are then explained. On the opposite end of the spectrum, domestic violence also affects the elderly. This course describes ways to recognize risk factors and types of elder abuse, as well as how to report and respond to it. Lastly, civil liability issues are discussed. Typical state statutes and laws governing police response are detailed and then illustrated through a case study.