“Research shows that domestic violence, child abuse or child sexual abuse are all patterns of behaviors. No one wakes up one morning and begins to beat their spouse or children. There is a pattern of behavior that happens over time. When time is spent looking for these patterns of behavior it becomes very clear whether or not the allegations are true or false.”
One of the biggest problems accused fathers face in divorce and custody are false allegations of domestic violence. John McLaughlin and Karen Borders of Borders, McLaughlin & Associates are former police detectives who employ an investigative approach to “He said/She said” domestic violence cases. Their Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Risk Assessments are designed to prove or disprove abuse allegations, and to answer the questions judges face.
Part I of my interview with John can be found here. Part II is below.
Q. It seems that most domestic violence cases revolve around a “He Said/She Said” scenario that men usually lose. You claim your services can get men beyond this dilemma–how?
First this is very easy to get beyond if time is spent looking into the allegations. Research shows that domestic violence, child abuse or child sexual abuse are all patterns of behaviors. No one wakes up one morning and begins to beat their spouse or children. There is a pattern of behavior that happens over time. When time is spent looking for these patterns of behavior it becomes very clear whether or not the allegations are true or false.
For example, if a man has never shown any warning signs or behaviors associated with domestic violence and now there is a single allegation of DV, there is not a great likelihood that it occurred, especially if it was not witnessed by anyone. The reality is family, friends, neighbors and others know what is going on. They might not know that they know what is going on, but when they are asked the right questions, they have a wealth of information. It is like putting a puzzle together. Pieces come from many different sources.
Domestic violence homicides are the most predictable and preventable homicide that occurs. They read like a map book if someone who understands the patterns of behaviors is looking at it. Once you understand this, it becomes pretty clear what is happening and whether an allegation is true or false.
Q How do you conduct your Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Risk Assessments? How do you know they’re accurate?
We conduct our risk assessments with a collaborative team of experts who are specifically trained in domestic violence, child abuse and child sexual abuse. This team conducts an investigation into the allegations by searching for evidence of the patterns of behaviors known to be associated with DV and child abuse.
Interviews are conducted of the involved parties. Documents are analyzed for inconsistent statements, witnesses are located and interviewed. We utilize all available resources to look at the context of the allegations, to look at patterns of behaviors, and determine what the truth is. Utilizing two or three different disciplines and perspectives allows us to look at the allegations from different angles so nothing is missed.
Additionally, we are capable of doing these risk assessments one-sided. What I mean by this is if there is an allegation against a man, we can do the assessment without even having to talk to the woman. Since we do not rely on just what one person tells us, we are capable of developing our own sources of information. (more…)
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