Domestic Violence Page

2012 Mandatory Domestic Violence Training

BI-YEARLY MANDATORY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING

The deadline to complete the 2012 mandatory domestic violence training has been extended.  The deadline has been extended from December 31, 2012 to May 1, 2013. 

A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ONLINE TRAINING IS NOW AVAILABLE THAT MEETS THE 2012 DV TRAINING REQUIREMENT

November 26, 2012 - The Police Academy is happy to announce that the first domestic violence online training that meets the 2012 mandatory domestic violence training requirement is now available. 

This training can be accessed thru our webpage: http://vcjtc.vermont.gov/training and clicking “Online Training Opportunities”, which will take officers to the JPMA supported “Vermont Law Enforcement Online Training Center” website. 

The only currently offered training on the JPMA website that meets the 2012 mandatory domestic violence training requirement is titled “Children and DV VT”.  It has three modules and a final activity.  Officers must complete all three modules and the final activity to receive credit for this training.  This training is worth a total of 3.25 hours of training.

The “Children and DV VT” training incorporates a large number of videos and should be viewed from computers with high-speed broadband internet connections such as DSL and cable.

Other online trainings will become available in the future. 

Forms:

• Documentation of Strangulation Form - PDF
  • This form can be used as an investigative tool to enhance your cases involving strangulation.
  • *NOTE: This is a locked form. The general text cannot be modified. If you wish to have an unlocked version, please contact the State of Vermont's Police Domestic Violence Trainer,TJ Anderson, via email: tj.anderson@state.vt.us with your request. Please include a reason for wanting an unlocked version with your request.

Model Protocols:

• "Law Enforcement Response to Children at the Scene of a Domestic Violence Incident"

Links:

• Vermont Sex Offender Registry
• Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (VNADSV)
• Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services
• Safe at Home (Address Confidentiality for victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking)
• Vermont 211 (Information and Referral Services)
• Vermont Automated Notification Service for Crime Victims (VAN Service)

• An Analysis of Domestic Violence & Arrest Patterns in Vermont

VERMONT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED DATA

(Information listed below is taken from the State of Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report 2012, unless otherwise noted. This report can also be located on the Vermont Attorney General's Website.)

•  According to the Vermont Violent Crime Index 2010:
  • 83% of the violent crime cases involve intimate partners, family members, or acquaintances.

  • 65% of violent crime in Vermont occurred in the residences.

• In 2011, The Vermont Department of Health surveyed 22,723 students (grades 9 to 12) in 66 high schools for their Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Below are their findings:
  • Seven (7) percent of high school students reported that they were hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

  • Six (6) percent of students reported being physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to, and girls were twice as likely as boys to be victims of this type of sexual violence.

• According to the 2009 Vermont Department of Health Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS),
  • Fourteen (14) percent of Vermont adults (18 years of age and older) reported that an intimate partner hit, slapped, pushed, kicked, or physically hurt them in any way.
  • Twelve (12) percent reported that an intimate partner threatened them or made them feel unsafe in some way.

  • Fifteen (15) percent said an intimate partner tried to control their daily activities.

• According to the Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) the following statistics represented a snapshot of the DOC Population as of June 30, 2011*
  • 1,338 persons were under the supervision of Corrections for domestic violence related offenses.
    • 338 were incarcerated
    • 677 were on probation
    • 76 were on parole
    • 247 were on furlough status.
  • Approximately 22% of incarerated persons were incarcerated for a domestic violence related offense.
  • Approximately 14% of offenders under community supervision were under supervision for a domestic violence related offense.

• During 2011, the fifteen Member Programs of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (the Network) reported:
  • Received and responded to 10,250 hotline and crisis calls.
  • 747 survivors were housed in shelters and safe homes statewide.
    • 69 people were turned away in 2011 because of lack of room at shelters.
  • 7,313 victims of domestic violence and 1,025 victims of sexual violence reached out to the Member Programs of the Network over the course of the year
  • 354 children were housed in Network shelters or safe homes.

  • 1,212 children received services other than shelter, and Network Programs served two hundred fifty eight (258) child victims of sexual violence.

• During 2011, the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), Family Services Division reported:
  • Recieving 2,206 intake calls that identified co-occurring domestic violence and child maltreatment.

    • 725 of these intakes were accepted and opened for assessments or investigations resulting in 84 substantiations of child maltreatment.

• According to the Office of Court Administrator, from July of 2010 through June of 2011 the following domestic violence charges were filed in the Criminal Division of Superior Court (see graphs below for county statistics):
  • 13% of felony criminal cases were domestic violence charges.
    • Sentencing:
      • 62% of the defendants received incarcerative sentences
      • 20% of the defendants received a split sentence of incarceration and probation
      • 11% received straight probation
      • 6% resulted in a deferred sentence
      • 1% were identified as unknown.
  • 6.5% of non-felony cases were domestic violence charges.
    • Sentencing:
      • 42% of the defendants received probation
      • 24% of the charges were resolved with deferred sentences
      • 19% received straight incarceration sentences
      • 13% received a split sentence with incarceration followed by probation
      • 2% resolved with a fine.
  • From 7/10 – 6/11, 62% of the defendants convicted of felony domestic assault received prison sentences.

• According to the Office of Court Administrator, from July of 2010 through June of 2011 the following statistics are in reference to relief from abuse orders (Title 15 Protection Orders):
  • 3,688 petitions for relief were filed.
  • 1,247 final orders were granted.
  • 1,644 temporary orders were issued without a final order.
  • 794 matters resulted in no order.
  • 12 cases were transferred to another court.
  • Of the 3,688 petitions for relief from abuse and exploitation filed last year, 34% resulted in a final order issued by Vermont Courts.

• As of January 2012, every Vermont county has a certified batterer intervention program.
  • The 2011 enrollment data for the Vermont Coalition of Batterer Intervention Services (VCBIS) indicates that there were 438 new participants in 2011 and 216 who completed the batterer intervention programming.