Preventing Domestic Homicides: Lessons Learned from Tragedies

Preventing Domestic Homicides: Lessons Learned from Tragedies focuses on the diverse nature of domestic homicides and what has been learned about the most effective prevention strategies from emerging research and the work of domestic violence death review committees in Canada, the US, the UK, NZ and AU. Each chapter focuses on different populations—specifically older women, youth dating relationships, indigenous women, immigrant and refugee populations, rural/remote communities, same-sex relationships, homicides with police & military, domestic homicide in the workplace, and children killed in the context of domestic violence. Topics cover current research, risk factors, and include case studies from domestic homicide review committees. Cases are summarized regarding major themes and recommendations, such as public awareness, professional training, risk assessment, intervention and collaboration amongst service systems. Written for academic and domestic violence researchers in sociology, criminology, psychology and psychiatry by global contributors with on-the-ground domestic homicide experience.

Table of Contents:
1. An introduction to domestic homicide: understanding the diverse nature of the problem 2. Older women and domestic homicide 3. Domestic homicides in rural communities: challenges in accessing resources 4. Domestic homicides within LGBTQ2S+ communities: barriers in disclosing relationships and violence 5. Domestic domicides in teens and young adult dating relationships: ignoring the dangers of dangerous relationships 6. Domestic homicide in immigrant communities: lessons learned 7. Perpetrator mental health: depression and suicidality as risk factors for domestic homicide 8. Child homicide in the context of domestic violence: when the plight of children is overlooked 9. Domestic homicides with police and military: understanding the risk enhanced by trauma and workplace culture 10. Domestic violence and homicide in the workplace 11. Domestic homicide within Indigenous communities: examining violence in the context of historical oppression 12. Domestic homicide involving female perpetrators and male victims 13. Future directions on promoting domestic homicide prevention in diverse populations

About the Author :
Dr. Peter Jaffe is a psychologist and Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University and the Academic Director of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women & Children. He is the Director Emeritus for the London Family Court Clinic, which a children’s mental health centre is specializing in issues that bring children and families into the justice system in London, Ontario. He has co-authored ten books, 29 chapters and over 80 articles related to domestic violence, the impact of domestic violence on children, homicide prevention and the role of the criminal and family justice systems. For the past 30 years, he has presented workshops across the United States and Canada, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Europe to various groups including judges, lawyers, health, mental health professionals and educators. Since 1999, he has been on faculty for the National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges in the US for judicial education programs entitled “Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases”. He was a founding member of Ontario's Chief Coroner’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. In 2009, he was named an Officer in the Order of Canada by the Governor General for his work preventing domestic violence in the community. Dr. Katreena Scott is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto and the Canada Research Chair in Family Violence Prevention and Intervention. She leads an applied research program aimed at reducing violence in family relationships, with specific expertise is addressing violence perpetration in men and fathers. Dr. Scott is recognized internationally for her intervention work with abusive fathers and nationally for her research on effective interventions for intimate partner violence. The Caring Dads program that she developed (www.caringdads.org) is currently running in many sites across Canada, as well as in the US, UK, Ireland, Wales, Germany and Sweden. Ms. Straatman completed her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario in 1993. Anna-Lee has had an ongoing working and collaborative relationship with the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children since shortly after the centre’s inception. From 1993-2001, Anna-Lee worked as Project Manager for the Youth Relationships Project under the direction of Dr. David Wolfe. From 1998-2001, Anna-Lee was the Project Manager for the Girl Child project under the supervision of Dr. Helene Berman. She was affiliated with the Centre as a Community Research Associate for many years and assumed the role of centre manager from 2010 to 2015. Anna-Lee has conducted interviews with more than two hundred adult survivors of child sexual abuse, including historical abuse in institutions. Anna-Lee has worked with various Victim Service agencies developing educational and training materials regarding trauma, domestic violence and other crimes against persons. Anna-Lee is the Project Manager of the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Vulnerable Populations, a five-year Partnership grant funded by the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council of Canada.