Although safety planning is a widespread practice with clients impacted by domestic violence, the research on it is limited. In this article, we present a review of existing literature describing practices and research in order to understand the gaps in the field's current understanding of safety planning practices. Next, we describe the methodology, findings, and implications of a focus group study that aimed to identify domestic violence service providers' perspectives toward safety planning. The major themes discussed include safety risks for domestic violence victims; safety planning within the community context; and agency policies, procedures, and forms related to safety planning.
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.
The authors surveyed 235 disaster mental health counselors (DMHCs) for levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. A correlational design was used to examine the roles of adult attachment security, emotion regulation, and mindfulness in predicting PTSD symptoms among this group. Each of the 3 predictors was negatively correlated with PTSD symptom severity, and data supported a mediating role for emotion regulation. Results may inform DMHCs, other counselors, and individuals who train or deploy DMHCs.
There is growing recognition of the need to better understand the intersections between the work of domestic violence service providers and technology. Professionals who work with clients impacted by domestic violence are increasingly using technologies across different aspects of their work, including communicating with other professionals and seeking information and resources via the Internet. The current study used qualitative data from two sources-individual interviews and two focus groups-to learn about domestic violence service providers' needs and perceptions related to technology use. The results provide insights about technologies used currently, expected benefits of future technological advances, barriers to using technology, and participants' self-rated levels of comfort with technology.
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