Child abuse

This webinar examines the problem of Intimate Partner Violence Strangulation and an innovative response policy. The presentation will include an overview of the nature and extent of strangulation, its dangers, and adverse medical consequences followed by a review of a Strangulation Ordinance in Burleson, Texas that mandates extensive training for first responders and a city-wide response protocol for strangulation detection and investigation, documentation of strangulation signs and symptoms, medical assistance, and service referrals for strangulation survivors.

Congress first passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994. Since then, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has invested several billion dollars to support national, state, and local programs and to advance policies and practices to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and increase access to safety, services, and justice for survivors. Over the same period, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has made similar investments, and VAWA, OVW and OVC have all supported NIJ in investing extensively in related research.

This plenary will trace the arc of Allegheny County’s evidence-based investments in justice and human services reform, starting with the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative in 2000. Participants will highlight Allegheny County’s ongoing, and evolving investments in risk assessment tools to inform pretrial and child welfare decision-making, its commitment to reducing racial disparities in the human services and justice systems, and its continued commitment to building and learning from evidence informed by rigorous evaluation methodologies.