In 2008, the JCVVS provided contract professional development programs, that is, courses or presentations sponsored by an organization, to the Wyoming Division of Victim Services, the Washoe County District Attorney Office Victim-Witness Center, the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, and Randolph Air Force Base Sexual Assault Prevention Outreach. Contract programs allow the JCVVS to offer content that is tailored to the unique needs of the organization or geographic area. Contract programs also allow for professional development continuity and are much less expensive than sending the same number of practitioners to a public program. Programs in Minnesota and Wyoming are planned for spring 2009.

Another major focus of 2008 was development on the National Crime Victim with Disabilities National Training Conference grant. An announcement of dates and location will be made in January 2009.

Other grant opportunities were also explored in 2008, including an application to address trafficking issues in Ghana and South Africa, an application to integrate crime victimization issues into college curricula, and an application to offer the Critical Analysis of Victim Assistance course and professional certificate option at twelve locations across the country over a three year period.

The JCVVS is committed to the enhancement of knowledge and competencies related to victim issues. Through the academic courses offered at our three Universities, professional development courses offered across the country, the article and program reviews offered each month in this newsletter, and the many consultations offered to practitioners and organizations, the JCVVS hopes to continue its efforts as a resource in 2009 and beyond. On behalf of the JCVVS Executive Committee, thank you for a great year.

Thomas Underwood
Executive Director

Academic courses offered by the three JCVVS academic institutions related to victim issues for spring 2009 are posted on the JCVVS web page. Many of the courses are offered online.

JCVVS e-newsletter reviews offer a brief synopsis of research and programs relevant to violence and victim studies. Brevity does not allow for comprehensive analysis, rather key points and observations for further review and consideration. Reviews are provided by persons affiliated by the JCVVS and do not necessarily reflect the position of the JCVVS or the affiliate Universities.

Authors: Klein, A., Tobin, T., Salomon, A., & Dubois, J.

Title: A Statewide Profile of Abuse of Older women and the Criminal Justice Response

Date: 2008

Publisher: National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

Retrieved December 22, 2008, from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx? ID=244358

Reviewer: Bernadette Muscat, Ph.D.

This article examines domestic violence reports that were made to state and local law enforcement officers in Rhode Island in 2002. Specifically, the data focused on female victims who were 50 years of age and older. Data were collected from police incident reports and through CourtConnect, an automated database of court records. During the study period, there were 734 incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault against those over 50 years old. Of these, 67% were female and between the ages of 50 and 59 years old. Most female victims (90%) were white or white Hispanic. In terms of the victim-offender relationship, this was split almost evenly between current or former intimate partners (50%) and family members (46%). Intergenerational abuse accounts for 95% of all familial abuse cases. The remaining 4% of perpetrators were identified as cohabitants who lived with the victim in a non-intimate and non-familial relationship. The majority of victims (64%) were living with their abusers at the time of the incident. Less than half of the incidents (44%) involved physical or sexual assaults, 22% had visible injuries, and 8% required medical attention. The victims were threatened in 27% of the cases and a weapon was used in 9 percent. Based on police reports and protective orders, 35% of the victims had been assaulted before and 40% of these had been assaulted two to five times in the past. The police responded to 31% of the cases and 14% of the victims had a protective order. Two-thirds of victims called the police to report the study abuse incident and 59% of victims cooperated with the police.

In terms of the suspect, all perpetrators ranged from 18 to 88 years old. Familial perpetrators were on average 45 years old in comparison to intimate partners who were 55 years old. Most abusers were white (88%) and male (83%), but 17% of all suspects were female. More than a quarter of the perpetrators (27%) had a prior court case for domestic violence. Based upon the findings from this study, the authors find several policy implications. First, the domestic abuse of women 50 to 59 is similar to that of women under 50 with the perpetrator being an intimate partner. The perpetrator changes as the woman ages. Once a woman is older than 60, the perpetrator is more likely to be a family member and not an intimate partner. The authors argue that the completion of a batterer intervention program for family members may not be the most appropriate avenue for breaking the cycle of violence. Instead, family member perpetrators may be better served by mandatory substance abuse counseling and drug testing, as well as mental health services. Next, there appears to be a disconnect between law enforcement and adult protective services within Rhode Island wherein if the police are called they do not necessarily contact adult protective services and vice versa. A more streamlined process is essential to ensure that domestic violence cases are reported and victims are receiving services. Finally, interagency collaboration can be enhanced with comprehensive data collection efforts to better define the prevalence of the problem and plan accordingly. Likewise cross training is important to ensure that first responders, victim service providers, medical personnel, and mental health care professionals are able to assist victims of all ages. Additional research focusing on all aspects of elder abuse will be a continued need in the future.