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Red flags show which violent relationships could turn deadly

Some clues: No job. A criminal history. Drug use. A gun in the home.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published June 24, 2007

Firearm in the home.

Abuser uses drugs or alcohol.

Abuser is jobless or underemployed.

Abuser has criminal history.

Age disparity of six or more years.

Friends and family aware of abuse but don't know how to help.

Guns at home.

An abuser with a criminal record.

An abuser who drinks a lot or takes drugs.

These are factors that can mark the difference between an abusive relationship and a deadly one.

That's the conclusion of seven years of study of local domestic violence deaths. And authorities are trying to spread that awareness to potential victims and others to prevent more victims from dying.

Between 2000 and 2006, authorities examined 66 cases of fatal or near-fatal domestic violence and found other lethal risk factors, too.

Nearly 60 percent of local cases showed an age difference of six or more years between the abuser and victim. And, in more than 65 percent of the cases, friends, family or co-workers were aware of the abuse.

And nationwide, research has found other factors, such as abusers who are unemployed or those who have a history of domestic violence.

All of these circumstances show up often enough in domestic violence homicides that advocates can now counsel potential victims in stronger, more urgent terms.

"When I'm out on a call, those patterns are ticking off in my head, " said Frieda Widera, a domestic violence intervention specialist for the Largo Police Department and chairwoman of the countywide Fatality Review Team.

In those situations, Widera bluntly tells victims, "Your case is very similar to cases where people have been killed."

For years, Widera's gut told her there were certain things that made some abuse cases more dangerous than others.

Seven years ago, she and other local advocates in the county formed the Fatality Review Team to study cases, spot patterns and make recommendations.

In St. Petersburg, the group Community Action Stops Abuse has changed its strategies because of the reviews, said Bonnie Rosendale, CASA's director of community and legal outreach and a member of the review team.

For one, it has assigned two advocates to focus intensely on substance abuse issues in families.

CASA also routinely conducts lethality assessments for its clients, she said. Part of the assessment looks at the abuser's behavior.

"You can never tell when a fatality is going to happen, " Rosendale said. "At least we can do better safety planning with a victim based on her answers."

That planning can include having signals to let friends or family know they're in danger.

It can include survival strategies such as, if there's a fight brewing, get out of the kitchen, the garage or anyplace where there are a lot of potential weapons.

And it can include steps victims can take before leaving an abuser. For example, get the information you need, but don't use a computer your abuser has access to. Instead, use a friend's computer or one at the library.

* * *

The Pinellas Fatality Review Team, which now has about 30 members, is similar to other groups in Florida and across the nation.

Nationwide, fatality reviews aim to help prevent domestic homicides and suicides, said Neil Websdale, principal project adviser for the National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative.

Most domestic violence victims who die have little or no contact with domestic violence centers or other advocacy agencies, according to research.

Sometimes groups will offer advice to law enforcement or community agencies or recommend legislation. They also suggest interventions to provide jobs, housing and other services to support women, the most common victims of domestic violence.

"This is a community problem, " Websdale said, "not just a criminal justice problem."

* * *

Widera has counseled thousands of victims during her 18-year career here and in Georgia.

A couple of cases stand out.

One was a woman whose abusive boyfriend refused to leave. The woman was vivacious, caring and in her mid 50s. The boyfriend was at least a decade younger, an alcoholic who didn't have a job.

Widera, then a counselor at an Atlanta battered women's program, told the woman she wasn't safe. The woman eventually ended the relationship.

Widera moved to Florida believing the woman was okay. A year later, she got a call from an Atlanta colleague.

The woman reconciled with her boyfriend. And he killed her.

"We didn't focus on lethality indicators then, " Widera said. "She was the first client I had worked with who died."

In 2004, Widera briefly counseled a woman who was beaten by her boyfriend. The woman came to Largo to start a new life.

Weeks later, the woman was beaten, choked and left to die.

Those cases have motivated Widera, not discouraged her.

"It gives me more energy to keep going, to do this work, " she said. "Because I don't want to see any more of those."

Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or lorri@sptimes.com

BY THE NUMBERS

Domestic homicide trends

Last year, Florida had 164 domestic violence murders, down from 176 in 2005. Pinellas had nine domestic violence murders, down from 16.

how to help

If you're a victim

- Call the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-500-1119 .

- Ask advocates about "safety planning."

- Reach out to a trusted person.

If you know a victim

- Stay connected and supportive.

- Don't blame the victim.

- If you witness violence, call 911.

[Last modified June 23, 2007, 21:55:57]