We may never know...

What triggered the rage of Adam Lanza?

NEW BRAINTREE, MA   December 22, 2012  The school massacre in Newtown, CT may never be understood to the satisfaction of behavioral scientists and those who lost their loved ones alike.  According to analysis posted in the New York Post, the perpetrator planned his actions well before the murders.  Experts argue this degree of planning is the act of someone who is organized and probably has intact sanity.  This is the part that has people confused and wondering how could any sane person murder children in cold blood?

As the days and weeks pass more is becoming known about Adam Lanza the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook school shooting and loathsome malefactor.  The paper described a pattern of compulsive video gaming where hours upon hours of violent fantasy may have been the harbinger of the terminal rage that culminated on that day in his suicidal rampage.  What sort of monster was Adam Lanza?

Everyone you speak to has his own theory about what could trigger an event as lugubrious and hateful as this.  Some attribute his action to the poor attachment he had with his mother - the first victim and teacher at Sandy Hook.  Others wish to blame a developmental disorder in the autism spectrum as the underpinning cause because Lanza did not make eye contact or socialize with others.

The psychological autopsy is an in depth analysis of the terminal event and the days and weeks that proceeded it.  The study includes interview data from friends, family members, doctors, members of law enforcement and anyone else with first hand knowledge of Lanza and his emotional comportment leading up to the murders.  Like its forensic counterpart, psychological examiners seek to uncover the motives, behaviors, and emotions that homogenized into the worst school shooting in U.S. history.  We may never understand what triggered the events of December 14 but the psychological autopsy will provide a comprehensive analysis of the complex and competing psychic forces at work in the mind of the killer.  The importance of this may not immediately be appreciated but the recently published psychological autopsy of the killer in the Dexter, Maine homicides has brought determinable and conclusive knowledge as to the precursory events that were apparent to many well before the terminal event.  It has also contributed to the body of knowledge about domestic violence and domestic violence homicide that arguable belies the facts of the Sandy Hook killings.

WHAT IS KNOWN
The NY Post story identified patterns of functioning that may underlie the monstrous behavior.  Adam Lanza was socially withdrawn and isolated which conjures up speculation about the negative impact of video games.  His first killing was an act of matricide - killing of the mother.  The divorce of his parents in 2008 raises the specter of the impact of divorce on adolescent mental health.  Very little has been reported on Lanza's relationship with his biological father.  Critics of home schooling may assume that Lanza was undersocialized and attribute this to the kind of person he became.  Meanwhile, armchair psychologists want to blame schizophrenia, social avoidance, autism, or personality disorder as the cause of Lanza's emotional perturbation and its eventual cataclysmic finale.

What would prevent Lanza's apparently affluent parents from getting the treatment their son so obviously needed?  Both were highly educated and money was not a barrier to accessing mental health care.  Had Lanza been in treatment for his socially avoidant lifestyle?  Arguably, parental apathy must be considered when one learns about the constellation of family relationships that comprised the life of Adam Lanza.  We may never know why Lanza first killed his mother in an act of matricide - the sole human being with whom he had any regular contact.  Perhaps he blamed her for the emotionally barren existence he lived.  In a previous blog, Michael Sefton, Ph.D. argued that domestic violence, and one might argue mass murder, is not the product of poverty nor the inculpation of firearms - but a host of factors incompatible with emotional health that must be studied.

WHAT COMES NEXT?
It now becomes the responsibility of the state of Connecticut to investigate the events of one of the worst days in human history.  There is no responsible person to prosecute - he is deceased.  Some may wish to turn the page on Sandy Hook - raze the building and bury all of its untold horrors.  It would be imprudent to summarily raze Sandy Hook and bury its truths without first learning what might have saved the 26 souls who perished on that day.  This was done in Maine following a 2011 domestic violence homicide and brought forth some valuable knowledge about preincident behavior.  Most perpetrators project red flag behaviors that forewarn their actions which sometimes become triggered by apparently benign events.

The psychological autopsy of the recent Dexter, Maine homicides suggested that social media may have marginalized the killer in such a way that his exclusion from his son's 8th grade commencement triggered the slaughter of his two children and estranged spouse in June 2011.  Likewise, it was quite obvious that Adam Lanza was experiencing life in the margins and used the killing of 26 innocent people to manifest the alienation and resentment it caused for him.  Did he grow up without the emotional attachment to others so that killing his mother was like turning off a television set or video game - stopping the random noise that interfered with his perseverating fantasy and stripping him of needed emotional ballast?

We may never know what event triggered his growing frustration and pent up rage resulting in the Sandy Hook killings.  It is important that we do all that we can for the victims, their families and society to uncover those factors that contributed to the man's behavior and understand without a doubt the sequence of events that led up to the unconscionable actions taken by Adam Lanza.  Only then can we begin to turn the page on Sandy Hook and only then can the healing begin.

Singer Chris Brown can't shake the rap of DV

CELEBRITY NOTORIETY AND DV

NEW BRAINTREE, MA December 9, 2012  Celebrity status does not guaranty a healthy intimate relationship.  Early this Fall I published a blog citing the difficulty Rapper Chris Brown is having as he performs around the world.  On December 1 a Kansas City Chief's linebacker killed his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself in an episode of domestic violence homicide.  Celebrity "status" does not guaranty health or happiness.

For his part, Chris Brown seems unable to pay his dues and mve away from the 2009 DV felony assault on intimate partner Rihanna for which he plead guilty.  Although Rhianna has forgiven Brown he cannot seem to catch a break from woman's groups around the world.  For example, in Guyana he is being protested for his planned concert scheduled for December. Brown should be able to live his life as he chooses but his history of domestic violence must never be condoned.

Chris Brown is recognized world wide for his music and energetic performances.  Yet he cannot overcome the stigma associated with domestic violence especially in countries with notorious rates of intimate partner violence.  As Brown travels the world he sometimes encounters groups opposed to him solely on the basis of his reputed tumultuous, sometimes violent relationship with singer Rhianna.  Arguably, Chris Brown has made an effort to publicly purge his reputation by undergoing counseling, anger management, and community service as a part of the agreement he made with courts after being charged with felony DV.  

Chris Brown wants to entertain and by all accounts has followers world wide.  Many of these fans choose to forgive Brown for his past behaviors as his former wife Rhianna has done.  There has been trouble in places around the world who find Brown's presence something of a paradox given the human rights record in many African countries toward women.  Chris Brown must begin to understand the contempt some women's advocates harbor against him profiting from his concerts.  In the UK he is forbidden to perform given his conviction for felony DV.  Domestic violence is a problem around the world and celebrities are better suited to speak out against this inhumanity and be caught in its emotional quagmire.  

The stain of intimate partner violence cannot be laundered from celebrities everywhere and even most famous rap singer in the world.  

Athletes and Celebrities Not Immuned

Kansas City Chief's Player Kills Wife and Self in act of DVH

NEW BRAINTREE, MA  December 1, 2012  News was breaking today about a 25-year old Kansas City Chief's player who killed his live-in girlfriend before going to Arrowhead Stadium and killing himself.  This event casts light on a man in crisis who lost control of his behavior and in the end could not be stopped.  The specific sequence of events are still being gathered.

 Domestic violence effects people everywhere and exists in even the highest level of professional sport.  Arguably, professional sports requires both exceptional athleticism and a capacity to thrive in the limelight that is associated the 24 hr/day celebrity status.  Details of today's murder/suicide are not being released and by the time this blog is published the story may have grown legs and be gone.  The point of this blog is to erase all myths about how great it might be to play professional football and earn a big paycheck.  Clearly this event highlights the dearth of emotional resiliency some experience when stress is at its highest.  Professional athletes are not immune and in spite being well paid and pampered some men remain vulnerable to these terminal events.  In the end it is essential that we recognize those who are at greatest risk for domestic violence and domestic violence homicide.

It may never become public information just what triggered this case of domestic violence homicide.  A plethora of red flags may gradually seep into internet crawl offering hints about what might have been done.  A careful analysis of the events that immediately preceded the players emotional maelstrom may be important for local experts and perhaps for the Chief's internal player employee health practices.

Domestic Violence may hit close to home!

Domestic Violence not the product of Poverty

NEW BRAINTREE, MA October 31, 2012  Domestic Violence is not the product of poverty or unemployment or alcoholism alone.  DV cuts across all socioeconomic levels from rich to poor.  Police officers are called to help people in all neighborhoods - perhaps yours.  DV is not a private affair between husband and wife.  Arrests are made in all cases where probable cause exists that support the charge of domestic assault and battery.  Bar none.

At least that is what is supposed to happen.  In some cases police officers use their discretion and separate the partners for the night allowing for a period of time out.  A Minnesota study suggests this might make matters worse in the long run.  Early intervention making a mandatory arrest may be a better stopping point than having an angry spouse spend the night in a hotel.  Why?

Domestic violence behaviors germinate in an environment of secrecy during which an abusive spouse slowly isolates his intimate partner from her support - family, friends, finances.  In doing so there is a subtle but undeniable manipulation of control - usually coupled with threats and intimidation.  There is growing awareness that red flag behaviors precede DV and domestic violence homicide.  Things like pathological jealousy, forced sexual contact, manipulating friendships, and others are the early signs of domestic violence.  There comes a time when police and the judiciary must contain an abusive spouse whether or not he has a record of DV.  A closer look at the abuse timeline may offer hints as to what might happen next and by understanding this decisions about the need for containment become clear.

Social Service Model of Support

THE BEST PROTECTION MUST COME AFTER AN ORDER OF PROTECTION

"The "social service model" of dealing with DV does not now and has never worked in preventing domestic violence homicide," according to Brian Gagan, co-author of the Psychological Autopsy conducted in 2011 on Steven Lake of Dexter, ME.  Lake killed his family and then himself on June 13, 2011 after violating a protection from abuse order at least 4 times in the previous year.  His wife Amy took all the steps she could to protect herself and her two children.  She received excellent support from local women's advocates in her area.  She had a safety plan.  What when wrong?

The social service model of support relies on well trained and organized caregivers who provide education, counseling, and when necessary housing for families engaged in contentious and violent relationships.  The "support" model is generally victim focused in terms of the active engagement it takes and the role it plays in assisting women with the tools they need to begin the process of disengaging from a violent spouse.  Counseling is provided to women and their children to bolster sagging self-esteem and to reconstruct well-engrained erroneous beliefs about the nature of relationships, intimacy, and respect.

Some believe this does not go far enough.  "Focusing upon support of DV victims does not prevent domestic violence homicide, as we all learned clearly in the Lake case" according to Gagan, a former police officer now living in Scottsdale, AZ. "Support is both the easy and dangerous way out of the DV quagmire.  Instead, the mission must be prevention of serious bodily injury and death." said Gagan.  The protection from abuse orders fail in their inherent mission to protect women from potential harm and further violence.  There are not enough legal contingencies for men who violate the orders of protection and many are released form jail on paltry amounts of bail.  When a domestic violence terrorist engages in violent threats and actions e.g. attempt at strangulation, he has revealed a window into his callous, inhumane, soul and should not be free.  The state of Maine has started looking at changes in bail requirements for those who violate orders of protection.  Steven Lake while living in Harmony, Maine with is wife and two children held them all at gun point for over an hour while he rambled on in an effort to control their every breath.  One year later he killed them all.

When the police take a DV complaint in Massachusetts the parties involved are counseled about their rights under the law.  This affords victims with the perfunctory tools to begin protecting themselves and their families.  The process begins with a courageous victim making the decision that they have had enough abuse.  Many clinicians believe this is when the victim is at greatest risk - when she decides to leave.  If there is consensus in this statement than the greatest support must be provided at this point in time or we fail as a society to take reasonable steps to protect our most vulnerable people.  That clearly is the case in many of the domestic violence homicides that occur around the world.  The failure to protect, on a social level, leaves victims alone to be tortured, murdered, or further marginalized when allowed to live.  This is the group generally labelled lost to follow-up but an effort must be made to keep them engaged and protected.

What are the early signs?

ABUSE HAS EARLY STOPPING POINTS

NEW BRAINTREE, MA July 20, 2012  - There are usually points in time during intimate relationships when partners become angry at one another.  This is a normal part of the evolution of the relationship and and comes as two separate identities attempt to form an intimate dyad.  Physical violence is not part of this growth process, in fact, violence destroys intimacy and trust.  Violence is often a sign of insecurity on the part of the controlling partner representing the worst fears and deeply felt guilt, shame, and anger.  The abusive spouse often leaves a trail of victims in his past starting as early as middle school.  These failed relationships serve as an important warning to new girlfriends and boyfriends.

As recently as July 8, a Massachusetts state representative was arrested for domestic violence when he allegedly punched and choked a person with whom he had only recently established an intimate relationship. Obviously the victim was on her guard when the man telephoned her at 2 AM insisting that they go out for a ride during which he would not allow her out of his vehicle and punched and choked her resulting in her desperate jump from the moving vehicle. Were there any sign before this event that the man had a proclivity to such control and violence? Stopping points refer to the subtle red flags that should put a hold on a relationship until such behaviors can be identified and reconciled. For example, on the first date a man says "I can't see you wearing that blouse to work every guy would be staring at your chest." This statement is a subtle red flag and should put a stop in further intimacy until the meaning behind it can be explored. Pathological jealousy is often part of early intimate partner violence. 

Choking and stealing the cell phones of intimate partners are containment points and far exceed what should be considered a normal part of the dating relationship.  When these behaviors occur it is best to do whatever is necessary to protect oneself.

Just as you might put a stop to a door to door salesman pitching kitchen knives, early jealousy must be stopped before it moves to the next unpredictable level as it quickly did in Boston in July.

NY Times features photographer

PHOTOGRAPHY DEPICTS CHAOS AND EMOTIONS

New Braintree, MA - July 8, 2012  In early July the NY Times LENS Section featured a story written by James Estrin on the photographs of Donna Ferrato a gifted photographer and author.  Ms Ferrato has at least 2 books of photographs that show the anguish and chaos that festers in the homes of the abused and has been depicting them since the early 1980's.  Her book "Living with the Enemy" has brought this subject to life.  The photographer actually lived with many of the couples featured in her images in a surreal effort to capture the emotions.  She did capture emotion and in doing so became involved with some of the abusers first hand.  The photographs are painful to see - especially the images of the terrified children trapped in their environments.  The primal fear and anger exhibited by some of the child victims is palpable as their rage erupts both in the wishful protection of a parent and in some cases the unbridled attempt to model a violent family member - child against child.  I can only imagine the storm of emotions captured in the hundreds of photographs captured by Donna Ferrato.  I recommend you read Mr. Estrin's article.

Guns contribute to victim risk

NEW BRAINTREE, MA June 3, 2012  The literature in domestic violence is filled with anecdotes that bemoan the heightened risk to victims whenever firearms are involved.  If a violent spouse uses a firearm to threaten his family he has thrust himself into the high risk classification.  Arguably this man should not have firearms in his possession.  Yet as intuitive as this may seem guns are used on a daily basis to kill and maim intimate partners.  When protection orders are issued they should consider the presence of firearms and seize them whenever they are present.


Across America, Risk Assessment Teams convene in an effort to measure what factors elevate victim risk.  Some use assessment tools like Jacqueline Campbell's Danger Assessment.  This instrument makes a valid and reliable set of data that quantify the substantive level of danger in a given relationship.  The highest risk Campbell identifies are behavioral constructs such as use of firearm, choking victim, and symbolic intimidation.  Guns are considered a primary risk factor for homicide in cases of domestic violence.


More needs to be done to keep firearms away from abusive partners.  Domestic violence is all about the abuse of power and control.  When relationships evolve into such conflict external controls may be needed to assure for the safety of potential victims and children.  Whenever domestic violence counselors collaborate on safety plans with potential victims the first question is are there guns in the home?  Judges and prosecutors are being asked to provide high bail for cases of domestic violence whenever high risk indicators are present such a making threats with firearms.  In the ast 9 months this blog has published several case studies.  One in particular resulted in the homicide of 3 innocent members of one family from northern Maine.  Moments after police responded to the home, the estranged husband killed himself soon after killing Amy, Monica, and Coty Lake.  

Time to renew the fight against DV

RENEWED FIGHT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

NEW BRAINTREE, MA  May 8, 2012  In the fall of 2011, I was involved in the psychological autopsy analysis of pre-incident behaviors of a despicable man who killed his wife and children in Dexter, Maine (Allanach, 2011).  The murder-suicide occurred in June as students across the state began their summer vacations.  The victim was a kindergarten teacher who graduated from UMF.  She had 2 children.  The findings of our report were submitted to the Maine Domestic Violence Homicide Review Board in November.  We received a positive response from government sources and women's groups throughout Maine who found our report thoughtful and timely.  We generated over 50 recommendations for police, counselors, prosecutors, and the judiciary to combat the problem of domestic violence.  It can happen anywhere.  College campuses are not immune to the pernicious effects of this imbalance of power.  

It is estimated one in four woman experience domestic violence in her lifetime according.  Research suggests that police are notified about intimate partner violence only after the 9th incident on average.  By then the emotional abuse may have transitioned into physical violence.  There should be zero tolerance for domestic abuse.        

Domestic violence homicide is usually preceded by red flags like jealousy, intimidation, and sexual aggression among intimate partners.  I have published this in blog pages earlier this year.  Violence is impossible to predict with 100 percent certainty but if you are in a relationship where aggression and threats ever occur you are at greater risk for being killed by your boyfriend or girlfriend than a complete stranger.  Intimate partners should not intimidate nor bully one another and this must stop the first time it occurs. 

“I never thought he’d take the kids.”

Paternal Aunt of DV Murderer       

Red flags include irrational anger, lack of empathy, symbolic intimidation, and refusal to take 'no' for an answer.  One sad fact we learned in the recent domestic violence homicide was that people knew what was going to happen.  Family members of the murderer told us that they were aware of his anger "never expected him to take the children."  They knew of this and said nothing to anyone until 4 people were dead.  Effective reduction of domestic violence means that victims need to trust someone - and speak up.  If you know that someone is being abused you must tell someone.  It can save the life of a friend or family member.  It might save your own life.  I was asked several times why I participated in the behavioral analysis of someone who was now gone.  What good can come from a creepy retrospective like this?   I have said it before, to do nothing is an act of inhumanity.

MANDATED REPORTING

FAILURE TO REPORT IS AN ACT OF INHUMANITY

New Braintree, MA April 4, 2012   We have learned that domestic violence is highly secretive and consists of an imbalance of power - one spouse believes he or she is the "bomb" and can do whatever he wants.  That often includes emotional, physical, and sexual violence.  I have proposed in these pages that mandated reporting be the rule.  If someone is arrested and convicted of domestic assault there should be a state or local registry on which the names appear of perpetrators of DV.  How would this impact society?


GLOBAL CONCERN
The BBC in England has been focusing on DV for the past 12-18 months after a series of numbing cases of DVH.  Domestic violence claims the lives of 2 women a week throughout the U.K.  "Domestic violence is a particularly dreadful form of abuse and I want us to constantly look at new ways of protecting victims and preventing tragic incidents from happening" according to Theresa May, Home Secretary in the U.K. first published on the BBC in 2011.  Akin to the ubiquitous Child Sex Offender registry some believe women should be permitted to contact the local police and ask whether someone they are dating has ever been convicted of domestic violence.  If they have they are free to make different decisions about forming a relationship with that person - or not.  Claire's Law has been proposed to close the loophole that permits DV offenders to hunt and abuse partners without fear of public scrutiny or social backlash.  How would such a registry impact the jobs of perpetrators if they were forced to disclose prior acts of DV?


Obviously this would require a national policy understanding about the negative impact of domestic violence for which people may not prepared.  Otherwise someone convicted in Massachusetts would simply move to New Hampshire and be off the hook.  Society needs protection to be in place for just such contingencies.

DETACHMENT AND PREDATION

CAN WE RECOGNIZE EMPATHY WHEN WE SEE IT?

New Braintree, MA  March 20, 2012 In a blog published at Thanksgiving I wrote about the sudden explosion of violence that accompanies domestic violence homicide.  Readers expressed some interest in my thoughts on why this occurs.  There are several theories as to what factors trigger the final paroxysm of rage.  First is the growing insecurity and humiliation associated with perceived loss such as when a spouse seeks a divorce.  Many abusers are deeply insecure and while they may appear to be in control they do so without much emotional reserve.  When stress is accelerated by financial decline or legal conflict abusers become marginalized and increasingly fragile.  This pushes them out of the mainstream of their lives and creates huge emotional dissonance.  

When the stress becomes intolerable violence can occur like a depolarizing discharge of the lightning bolt. What follows is a pitiable display of regret and denial of responsibility that is arguably a show of theatrics.  This is called the cycle of abuse.  Most people tolerate stress and this kind of dissonance without becoming violent.  What separates them from those who would kill?  An OP-Ed article in this weeks NY Times described how all people have capacity for primal anger and despicable acts those those I have described.  It was written in response to the Army Sergeant who allegedly left his base in Afganistan and killed 16 civilians while they slept.  Is this an example of a lack of empathy?  People have spoken quite highly of the sergeant - those who knew him personally find the facts in the case incongruent with his personality.  But that is war and unless we have been in war there is nothing against which to compare the impact of its ghastly sights and sounds.


A WAR FROM WITHIN
Some liken living in the home of a domestic abuser to war.  Only secretive and destructive from within.  There is no single factor that identifies the next abuser who may destroy his family like the man in Maine.  However, a pattern of emotional detachment and lack of human empathy are among the two highest risks.  Empathy is not something that can be taught or derived from years of psychotherapy.  You are capable of understanding the feelings of others or you are not.  


In the absence of mental illness, domestic violence results from a powerful need to 'control' intimate partners - often in the absence of true conflict and without empathy at all.  A war from within.

CHANGES COME SLOWLY FOR MAINE

WVOM-FM SHOW HIGHLIGHTS CHANGE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW

New Braintree, MA  February 20, 2012  Officer Mike Sefton was a guest on the radio show of Rick Tyler at WVOM-FM in Bangor, Maine.  WVOM calls itself the Voice of Maine.  Mr. Tyler has taken a keen interest in the domestic violence in Maine ever since the June 13, 2011 murders of Amy Bagley Lake and her two children at the hands of her husband Steven Lake.  Officer Sefton was a guest with co-author Brian Gagan of Scottsdale, AZ and Kelly Gay, Newport, ME.  Ms. Gay is a former friend of Amy Lake and participated in the psychological autopsy conducted by Sefton and Gagan in late 2011. Officer Sefton noted the impressive changes that have started taking place in Maine - including legislation on bail conditions in the past 6 months.  Sefton spoke about the importance of assessment of persons arrested for domestic violence in terms of predicting dangerousness.  "Police do not want another step in the arrest process.  Given the sometimes chaotic circumstances surrounding a DV arrest having the police assess their prisoners for future domestic violence may appear to pose an undue hardship", according to Sefton.  "The assessment process should be short and quick - a couple tools are available including the Dangerousness Assessment and ODARA - a tool used here in Maine."  There are cities and towns in Maine already using the ODARA instrument that was first published in Canada.


The show also featured a spokesperson from a local Woman's Advocacy group and a group of University of Maine athletes who have joined to take a stand against violence towards women.  The show was co-hosted by Federal Marshall Noel Marsh.  The MAAV group from University of Maine Orono stands for Maine Athletes Against Violence.


The show offered listeners from Brunswick to Bangor 2 hours of dialogue about domestic violence and the changes that are taking place in Maine.  In his State-of-the State address Governor Paul LePage renounced DV and openly disclosed his own history of abuse.  Governor LePage called DV a "problem for men".  Later, State Supreme Court Honorable Justice Leigh Saufley spoke about the need for bail to include a careful review of the criminal history prior to allowing men accused of domestic violence free from custody.

RISK ASSESSMENT AFTER ARREST

AGENCIES BEGIN USING RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS

In the 1980’s police began to take an aggressive response to DV – arrest was mandatory whenever sign of physical violence was present.  This resulted from a significant uptick in domestic violence homicide in the 1970’s. DV policy evolved from greater knowledge of domestic patterns of abuse and their impact on dysfunctional intimate relationships. Police are the “first responders” for domestic assaults and intimate partner conflict.  An assessment of risk should be considered in every case of domestic abuse whether or not an arrest is made.  Several tools are used to assess risk of violence that may be easily incorporated into the on-scene investigation or post-arrest interview in a structured interview format.  Aftermath intervention is important when police keep the peace and do not make an arrest – 1-3 days down the road for follow-up and referral.  There may come a time when the containment of the abuser requires extra attention to pre-incident detail to stop and disrupt the growing risk for terminal rage.

It is well known that in worst cases the insidious mistreatment turns into physical abuse, sexual aggression, pathological jealousy, and DV homicide.  Once the police make an arrest for DV an assessment of risk must be initiated.  How can bail be realistically set if the assessment is not made before the abuser is released?  It can not.  Risk assessment must drive conditions of bail.  High risk should mean high bail - or no bail.  Other conditions such as house arrest and GPS monitoring are being considered across the country.

BAIL CONDITIONS

States and counties have the unenviable task of gambling on recidivism.  Bail assures that the arrested party will show up for court either then next day or some time down the line.  It does very little else in the context of the judicial system and protecting the safety of victims.  The vast majority of people released from arrest are let out on their own recognizance - they are not required to post bail.  This simply means that the "system" trusts that they will appear for court at the appointed time.  If they decide not to go there is no financial loss to them whatsoever.  However, as a result they wind up behind bars on a bench warrant for missing their court date.  In cases of DV some jurisdictions allow men out on very low bail.  When victims of abuse have lived in fear they deserve to have an abuser post bail that is commensurate with the behavior for which they were arrested.  

ROAD MAPS TO AGGRESSION

RISK TO VICTIMS CAN BE MINIMIZED

“Despite receiving some mental health counseling it is apparent, in retrospect that the degree of violence and anger possessed by the abuser was not realized.” 

Narrative – 2011 Maine Autopsy Report

NEW BRAINTREE, MA  January 1, 2012  There is no single road map to understanding the complexity of human behavior in general and homicide in particular. If there were the rate of domestic violence homicide might be reduced to zero. Unfortunately behavioral analysis as a science has not evolved into a reliable enough predictor of murder and cannot adequately envisage when terminal rage might be unleashed. The psychological autopsy is the study of individual cases that uncovers details about the pre-incident behaviors known as red flags that may be useful in determining risk. The application of this information can identify commonalities among cases of domestic violence so that police and social service agencies might have justification for early stopping and when necessary containment of high risk abusers. 

Domestic violence affects all corners of the world and results from an abuse of power between persons involved in intimate relationships such as marriage. Domestic violence tends to become both more frequent and egregious as time goes on. It is well known that in worst cases the insidious mistreatment involves physical abuse, sexual aggression, pathological jealousy, and DV homicide. Across the United States and the European Union a high percentage of homicides occur at the hands of domestic partners. Arguably some believe a person is more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than a stranger. 

Research into domestic violence homicide suggests that there are frequent pre-incident indicators that may be predictive of violence (Allanach et al., 2011). These may be subtle and cloaked in innuendo such as hiding favored personal items belonging to a spouse.  Or they may be obvious threats and intimidation such as burning wedding photos or destroying ornaments placed on the family Christmas tree.  

The psychological autopsy of domestic abusers is rarely done because it is costly and time consuming. I have written about the psychological autopsy in a blog post published November 7, 2010. They are useful exercises in establishing attribution of behavior and greater understanding of the emotional expression of the decedent.  The inherent problem is that the abuser is already deceased.  Data from the psychological autopsy may be used as a road map to understanding the continuum of behavior frequently observed in domestic violence.