DES Family Advocacy Program and Sexual Assault Response Program

1
DES Family Advocacy Program andSexual
Assault Response Program

• Mary Asmonga-Knapp, LMSW, ACSW
• Family Advocacy Program Manager
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator

2
Training Overview

• Child abuse risk factors and indicators
• Domestic violence risk factors and indicators
• What the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) does
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
• What you can do to help yourself and your family

3
Child Abuse

• Physical injury
• Sexual maltreatment
• Emotional maltreatment
• Deprivation of necessities (neglect)

4
Child Abuse Risk Factors

• Stress is a major risk factor for physical abuse.
  Stressful events include
• Marital problems
• Serious or extended illness
• Unplanned or unwanted pregnancy
• Deployment/extended temporary duty
• PCS moves
• Parents family of origin issues

5
Domestic Abuse

• Maltreatment that is directed toward a person of
  the opposite sex who is
• A current or former spouse
• A person with whom the abuser shares a child in
  common
• A current or former intimate partner with whom
  the abuser shares or has shared a common domicile

6
Domestic Abuse

• Domestic violence
• Emotional/psychological abuse
• Economic control
• Interference with personal liberty

7
Indicators of Potential for AbuseNational
Coalition Against Domestic Violence

• Grow up in a violent family?
• Use force to solve problems?
• Jealous of partners other relationships?
• Frequently put down others?
• When angry, do others fear him/her?

8
Why Batter?

• Desire for power and control
• Most likely to have been abused as a child
• Alcohol/substance abuse
• Insecure
• Poor impulse control
• Extreme jealousy inability to trust
• Perspective that places men in a dominant role

9
Characteristics of Victims

• No specific trait identifies a victim of domestic
  abuse. It could happen to anyone.

10
Cycle of Domestic Violence
11
Phases of the Cycle of Violence

• Tension Building
• Something is triggering the violence
• Stuffs feelings justifies spouse being late
  put downs
• The Explosion
• Unable to diffuse the tension and RAGE
• Slams door throws magazines scratches
• Wrestles to the ground holds hair
• The Honeymoon
• Denial of the problem and seeking some sense of
  forgiveness
• Forgive and forget exchanges loving words
• Blames the victim for the violence

12
What is FAP?

• In 1984, DoD created the FAP to address child
  abuse and domestic violence.
• The FAP mission is to prevent, identify, report,
  intervene in and treat all aspects of child abuse
  and neglect and domestic abuse.

13
The Goals of FAP

• Promote the prevention, identification, reporting
  and treatment of abuse
• Strengthen family functioning of military
  families

14
Goals of FAP (cont.)

• Preserve families in which abuse has occurred
  without compromising safety
• Collaborate with civilian agencies
• Provide treatment when appropriate

15
How FAP Works

• IDENTIFICATION
• DoD policy requires everyone to report all
  suspected cases of child abuse and domestic
  violence to FAP
• Victims of domestic violence now have a
  restricted reporting option

16
How FAP Works

• ASSESSMENT
• Separate clinical assessments
• Police and medical reports
• Child protective services reports
• Case Review Committee (multi-disciplinary)

17
How FAP Works

• SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS
• Safety planning
• Crisis Intervention
• Shelter or foster care
• Victim advocacy counseling
• Support groups

18
How FAP Works

• TREATMENT FOR ABUSERS
• Goal is to help them recognize their behavior is
  unacceptable and to stop it.
• For domestic violence Stop using power and
  control and violence
• For child abuse Teaching safer ways to
  discipline and care for children

19
Misconceptions

• MYTH Family violence is a personal matter of
  concern only to the family
• FACT Family violence is an issue for the
  entire military community and requires command
  involvement

20
Misconceptions

• MYTH Military rates of domestic violence are
  higher than civilian rates
• FACT Comparisons are difficult. When civilian
  studies factor for age, income, and educational
  level, the rates are almost equal.

21
Misconceptions

• MYTH Females in the military are as violent as
  males
• FACT Females also commit domestic violence, but
  not at the same rates or level of severity

22
Misconceptions

• MYTH Service members who perform well on the
  job are unlikely to engage in family violence
• FACT Violent behavior is not restricted to poor
  performers. Some stellar performers at work may
  expect the same perfect performance from their
  family members.

23
Misconceptions

• MYTH Domestic violence does not affect the
  children
• FACT Two-thirds of the children in homes where
  there is violence between the parents are
  physically or sexually abused.

24
Misconceptions

• MYTH Men are unlikely victims of violence
• FACT In 30 of the domestic abuse incidents
  reported to FAP, women are the alleged abuser

25
Questions

• What questions do you have about child abuse,
  domestic violence, or how FAP works?

26
DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

• Learning Objectives
• Understand DoD mission and philosophy on sexual
  assault prevention and response
• Define sexual assault and its distinction from
  other forms of behavior
• Know reporting options and how to report it

27
DoD Sexual Assault Policy

• Provides a clear definition of sexual assault
• Establishes immediate response capability to
  ensure access to victim services
• Designates responsibilities of Sexual Assault
  Response Coordinator (SARC) and Victim Advocates

28
DoD Sexual Assault Policy

• Focuses on education, prevention, integrated
  victim support, appropriate action, and timely
  reporting
• Establishes a program structure to provide
  support to sexual assault victims through
  Installation Victim Advocates or Unit Victim
  Advocates and SARC

29
Sexual Assault Policy Key Points

• Sexual assault is a criminal offense
• DoD will use training, education, and awareness
  to prevent sexual assault
• All victims should be treated with dignity,
  respect, and sensitivity
• Unrestricted reports require aggressive, timely,
  and thorough investigations
• Those who commit sexual assault offenses should
  be held accountable

30
Sexual Assault Defined

• Intentional sexual contact, characterized by use
  of force, physical threat, or abuse of authority
  or when the victim does not or cannot consent
• Includes rape, nonconsensual sodomy (oral or
  anal), indecent assault (unwanted inappropriate
  sexual contact or fondling) or attempts to commit
  these acts

31
Sexual Harassment Defined

• A form of gender discrimination that involves
  unwelcome sexual advances, requests for special
  favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a
  sexual nature when
• A persons job, pay, or career is placed at risk
• An employees employment or career is placed in
  jeopardy
• It creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive
  work environment

32
Victims Reporting Options

• Learning Objectives
• Explain the rationale for providing victims with
  reporting options
• Describe the difference between RESTRICTED and
  UNRESTRICTED reporting and the benefits and
  limitations of each
• Explain the exceptions to restricted reporting
  and the applicability of exceptions

33
Previous Reporting Policy

• No confidentiality
• Chaplains privilege all others had to report
  sexual assault
• Medical treatment initiated an investigation
• Law enforcement notified immediately
• Victim had no control over release or management
  of his/her personal information

34
Unrestricted Reporting

• DoD policy favors unrestricted reporting
• Command and investigative services are notified
  enables offender accountability
• Allows the victim to receive
• Medical treatment
• Sexual Assault Forensic Examination
  (SAFE)
• Advocacy services
• Counseling services
• Legal services

35
Benefits of Unrestricted Reporting

• Ensures the widest range of rights and
  protections to the victim
• Commander support (Military Protective Orders,
  separation from offender, deferred collateral
  misconduct, etc.)
• Full investigation enhances opportunity to hold
  offender accountable (crime scene, witness
  interviews, suspect interrogation)
• May encourage other victims to come forward
• Enhanced community safety

36
Limitations of Unrestricted Reporting

• Cannot change to Restricted Reporting
• Victim may consider it too intrusive
• Others will find out
• Investigations and court proceedings may be
  lengthy
• May not be enough evidence to convict the offender

37
Restricted Reporting

• Allows a Service member who is sexually assaulted
  to disclose the incident to specifically
  identified personnel
• SARC
• Victim Advocate(s)
• Healthcare providers
• Chaplains

38
Restricted Reporting

• Allows the victim to receive
• Medical treatment
• Advocacy services
• Counseling assistance
• Victim decides whether and when to move forward
  with initiating an investigation
• DOES NOT TRIGGER THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS

39
Limitations of Restricted Reporting

• Victims assailant remains unpunished and at
  large
• Victim cannot receive a Military Protection Order
  (MPO)/No Contact Order
• Victim may continue to have contact with the
  assailant
• Evidence from the crime scene may be lost
• Victim unable to discuss the assault with other
  Service members

40
Purpose of Victims Reporting Options

• Ensure victims receive medical, counseling, and
  advocacy services
• Remove barriers
• Perceived lack of privacy/confidentiality
• Embarrassment/stigma
• Fear of reprisal from offender
• Lack of confidence in chain of command
• Fear of repercussions regarding
  collateral misconduct
• Concern about how report will affect
  their career, unit, and the mission

41
Restricted Reporting

• The Installation Commander is notified by the
  SARC within 24 hours of the assault and is
  provided with non-identifying personal
  information only.

42
Exceptions to Confidentiality/Restricted Reporting

• A victim consents in writing
• Disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a
  serious and imminent threat to the victim or
  another individual
• Disclosure is necessary to determine fitness for
  duty or disability determination
• When ordered by a judge or required by federal or
  state statute
• Exceptions do not equal full disclosure

43
Independent Investigations

• Investigations of restricted cases may occur if
• Command receives information from a source
  independent of the restricted reporting avenues
• Victim discloses circumstances of the sexual
  assault to someone other than the VA, SARC,
  Chaplain, or healthcare provider

44
Local Resources

• SARC at H.D.I. Federal Center is
• Mary Asmonga-Knapp, LMSW, ACSW
• Family Advocacy Program, at 269-961-4051
• Victim Advocates at the H.D.I Federal Center are
• Jan Shaw, RN, X7038
• Cassandra Howard X 5936
• Sexual Assault Services in Battle Creek
• 269-660-3925
• Michigan Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
  Hotline
• 1-800-353-8227

45
Questions?

• What questions do you have about Sexual Assault
  Prevention and Response?

46
The End

• Thank you for your attention, and thank you for
  your service to our country!
• Mary Asmonga-Knapp, LMSW, ACSW
• 2-1-54
• 269-961-4051
• DSN 932-4051