Domestic Violence Fatality Review Research Articles

Parallels in Practice: Applying Principles of Research Integrity and Ethics in Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR)

PurposeWithin the context of the big data society, new systems of data collection on domestic violence and abuse (DVA) have emerged. One such system is Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) which captures the various dimensions of gender, violence, and abuse required to form an evidence base for prevention. However, to date, there has been limited dialogue between practitioners and researchers about the ‘doing’ of DVFRs.MethodAs DVFR systems vary by jurisdiction, we conducted a case study of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) in England and Wales. Applying the Research Integrity Framework (RIF) developed by the four Women’s Aid Federations in the United Kingdom (UK), this article examines both the practice of DHR and how it is utilised as data in research.ResultsInformed by our situated perspectives as researchers and/or practitioners working in the field, our analysis demonstrates how undertaking DHR as a practitioner parallels collecting, accessing, and analysing data from DHRs as a researcher. Guiding principles are identified to help practitioners and researchers navigate the parallel challenges they confront and, critically, inform dialogue between practice and research.ConclusionsImplications for both professional practice and research are presented. To increase transparency and confidence, we argue that more attention should be afforded to the methodological and ethical issues inherent in both the practice of DHRs, and their utilisation as a source of data in research. While DHRs have differences to DVFRs in other jurisdictions, these findings also have implications for these other systems which will also be discussed.

The Potential and Limitations of Domestic Homicide Review: A Response to Hope et al. (2021)

This article responds to an article by Hope et al. (2021), in which they reported on an analysis of 22 Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) conducted in England and Wales into the domestic-abuse related deaths of men. While the analysis of DHRs individually and in aggregate is an important part of the process of learning from these tragedies, in this response I set out my concerns relating to both the use of DHRs by Hope et al. and also their findings. I highlight the absence of engagement with the literature around DHRs and/or the wider international family of Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFRs), as well as the decision to situate the study design and analysis of these deaths without reference to, or consideration of, the broader context of domestic homicide as a phenomenon. I also argue there is a lacuna in the findings, specifically as to the evidence of (alleged) domestic abuse by many of the men whose deaths were examined by these DHRs, the implications of which are overlooked. I conclude by emphasizing the potential learning from research into DHRs, in this case relating to the domestic abuse-related deaths of men, but also the need to recognize complexity in this endeavor.

Navigating Family Involvement in Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Conceptualising Prospects for Systems and Relational Repair

PurposeFamily involvement is a key element of Domestic Homicide Review (DHR), the form of Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) found in England and Wales. Family involvement is framed as having dual purposes: first, as a benefit to DHRs, enabling a fuller picture of victims’ experiences; second, as a benefit to families themselves, notably as a therapeutic or cathartic opportunity. However, these dual purposes have been little considered. This conceptual article responds to this absence by interrogating the purpose, process and outcomes of family involvement within DHRs.MethodTo explicate purpose, process and outcomes, we synthesise policy, practice and the extant empirical and theoretical literature relating to family involvement in DHRs. We supplement this by engaging with a broader body of emerging research on family involvement in other review systems, analysing this through a lens of citizenship and participation.ResultsFamily involvement in DHRs is little explicated and there is a need to better engage with how family are involved in DHRs, as a way of increasing transparency for family rights. By way of response, a tentative conceptual framework is proposed which situates family involvement as demonstrative of systems- and relational-repair.ConclusionsThe article concludes by arguing for greater attention to the Theory(s) of Change underpinning both the place of the family and their testimony, as well as the DHR system as a whole. Such clarity would benefit family, both as the subject of professional interactions but, critically, as agents in the DHR process in their own right.

Older Adult Fatality Reviews: A Powerful Tool to Improve Policies, Protections, and Services

Older adult maltreatment is a serious problem that can hasten mortality and cause fatality. Child and Domestic Violence Fatality Review teams have made a major impact to improve protections, services, and system responses for victims. There are over 1300 child fatality review teams in 50 US states and 200 domestic violence fatality teams in 45 states. Older adult fatality reviews, in contrast, have not proliferated across the country, missing opportunities to bring interdisciplinary expertise together to resolve policy, protection, and services needed to prevent older adult premature deaths due to violence and abuse. Method: A mini mock review of a fatality of an older adult woman will demonstrate the possibilities of beginning Older Adult Fatality Review Board as recommended by the American Bar Association. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary older adult fatality review teams have been an underutilized tool to make changes in older adult mistreatment protection services and systems.

Remembering the forgotten victims: Child-Related themes in domestic violence fatality reviews

BackgroundThe needs of children exposed to domestic violence have been historically overlooked. One way in which service provision for children exposed to this violence can be explored is through an examination of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams (DVFRT's), who review cases of fatal domestic violence to identify possible areas for improvement. ObjectiveThis study explored key themes relative to children exposed to domestic violence and homicide published by DVFRT's in order to identify the services that exist for children exposed to domestic violence, barriers to providing these services, and recommendations for improvement. Participants and SettingThis study reviewed annual reports from three DVFRT jurisdictions with regular annual reports from 2004 to 2016. MethodsA generic thematic analysis was performed by the primary author, in consultation with the second author, in order to identify dominant themes present in the DVFRT annual reports. The analysis utilized a codebook that was created beforehand in order to capture pertinent information within the reports. Trustworthiness of the data was established through a consistent application and thorough reporting of the coding procedures. ResultsThe analysis highlighted key barriers to child-specific service provision among agencies involved (e.g., lack of professional training and public awareness), recommendations for enhanced intervention (e.g., enhanced child-specific services) and promising practices (e.g., policy and legislation development). ConclusionsThe three DVFRTs identified several gaps in service provision for children affected by fatal domestic violence that will require increased engagement and resources targeting these vulnerable children.

Learning From Experience: A Content Analysis of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Reports

The mounting cost of domestic violence (DV) homicide in the United States has led to increased attention from law enforcement agencies and social organizations and the establishment of domestic violence fatality review boards or teams (DVFRTs) throughout the country. These teams are tasked with reviewing a specified set of DV-related fatality cases to determine the factors that contributed to the fatalities and whether there are changes that can be made to prevent future similar incidents. There exists, however, little to no standardization of practice and procedures among DVFRTs, resulting in wide variability among the reports they produce. The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the content of DVFRT reports across the United States to summarize standard practices in DVFRT reporting and to inform the procedures of existing and future DVFRTs. The researchers conducted a content analysis of 47 DVFRT reports to determine what information is most typically included in these reports on state, county, and city levels. A summary of findings and recommendations for DVFRTs is included.

Social Work Expertise and Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams

Social Work Expertise and Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams

Results from the Hawaii domestic violence fatality review, 2000-2009

:Background:Patterns of domestic violence fatalities and agency responses in Hawaii have not been explicated.Methods:Retrospective reviews of events leading up to domestic violence related fatalities in Hawaii were assessed from 45 adjudicated cases that resulted in 62 fatalities for the ten year period from 2000-2009.Results:Almost one-half of the fatalities were homicide/suicide combinations. Females were disproportionately more likely to be fatal victims of domestic violence relative to their proportion in the population. Those aged 21-40 years and those over 80 years were more likely to be fatal victims of domestic violence, relative to their proportion in the population. Filipinas and ‘Other” ethnic groups are disproportionately more likely to be fatal victims of domestic violence while Native Hawaiians and Japanese are less likely to be fatal victims, relative to their proportions in the population. In more than two-thirds of the cases, the victim had made some attempt to leave the relationship prior to the fatality. Conclusions:In the majority of cases there was agency involvement in some form: either the victim alone or the perpetrator alone, or both. However, less than one-third (31.1%) of the cases over the past ten years had documentation of prior violence from medical reports, so this may be an area to further document and address domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews and the African American Community

Cultural competence is important to the domestic violence fatality review process. This article reviews current knowledge about cultural competence for Black women abused by men in the United States, with suggested implications for domestic violence fatality review teams (DVFRTs). Help-seeking behaviors, coping strategies, historical context, and cultural values within the African American community are explored. These areas are further examined using a framework inclusive of the structure, goals, processes, outcomes, and barriers of DVFRTs. The implications for how DVFRTs can utilize this information are discussed.

Ethical Conundrums in Fatality Review Planning, Data Collection, and Reporting

The multidisciplinary, interprofessional practice of fatality review is quickly becoming more methodologically sophisticated. However, the discussion of ethical issues related to fatality review has been limited to the topics of confidentiality and the ethical guidelines of participant professions. We propose that the work of fatality review teams is similar to the research practice of evaluation. Using the Guiding Principles of Evaluation recommended by the American Evaluation Association (AEA), this paper begins an exploration of potential ethical conundrums faced by domestic violence fatality review teams and identifies suggestions for ensuring that the teams have the necessary tools for ethical practice.

The Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Can It Mobilize Community-Level Change?

Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) teams are a means of identifying systems' gaps in the coordinated response to domestic violence. While the number of homicide reviews has grown, little is known about whether DVFRs facilitate change in the community-level response to domestic violence. This research evaluated whether the recommendations made by one state-level DVFR had an effect on community and organizational priorities and practices. The results indicate that the recommendations influence countywide priorities, but less was done to implement the recommendations. DVFRs have the capacity to influence community-level change agendas; however, organizations need support moving from issue prioritization to implementation.

Types of Intimate Partner Homicides Committed by Women

Margo Wilson and Martin Daly began scientific work to explain intimate partner homicides (IPHs). Key to their work was women’s increased risk of IPH victimization relative to men. In the 1990s, many U.S. jurisdictions implemented Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committees (DVFRCs) to improve responses to potentially lethal abuse. We report findings from 117 closed heterosexual IPH cases collected by the Denver Metro DVFRC 1991-2009. As expected, IPHs perpetrated by women against men are frequently motivated by self-defense. Although Wilson and Daly’s “sexual proprietariness” is primarily characteristic of men killing women, we find it applicable to some women killing male mates.

Community, civic engagement, and democracy: The case of domestic violence fatality review

Community, civic engagement, and democracy: The case of domestic violence fatality review

Domestic violence fatality review teams: An interprofessional model to reduce deaths

In an effort to reduce injuries and prevent deaths from violence, interprofessional domestic violence fatality review teams (DVFRT) have developed across the United States and globally to study factors that contribute to intimate partner injury and deaths. Drawing upon knowledge from the disciplines of health, education, criminal justice, social services, and policy, these teams review and analyze domestic violence homicide cases to uncover basic knowledge about causes, factors that increase or decrease the risk for death and injury, and specific ways to prevent further injury and death. Through interprofessional collective recommendations and cooperative actions, these teams are developing promising practices and systems' changes that offer better services, learning, and interventions to reduce injury and death from domestic violence.

R & B

The conversation that unfolds takes place at a restaurant between an imaginary researcher, R, and an imaginary battered woman, B. The researcher embodies some of the traits of researchers in general and particularly those who stray into the arena of domestic violence fatality review. The battered woman lives with her three teenage children, works as a secretary at a university, and has just completed her master’s degree in Women’s Studies. R and B met 13 years ago at a shelter, where R interviewed B about B’s life and the domestic violence she had endured. Now, 13 years later, the two meet on the street, lock eyes, and agree to talk over dinner. By way of background, fatality review refers to the deliberative process whereby communities and their various domestic violence agencies identify homicides and suicides traceable to domestic violence and suggest preventive interventions. The past decade has witnessed the phenomenal growth of domestic violence fatality review teams. 1 In 1990, only a handful of states evidenced such review activity. At the close of 2004, approximately 32 states have adopted fatality reviews. Of these, at least half have passed enabling legislation to guide the process and protect the confidentiality of the deliberations and findings. A number of issues permeate the debate about the desirability and worth of