By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Ellis County has a high arrest rate for domestic violence, but domestic violence services advocates question if abusers are being held accountable.
Ellis County has a high arrest rate for domestic violence incidents — 70.7 percent in 2020 — compared to the state average of 48.2 percent.
In Ellis County, 167 cases of domestic violence were reported in 2020.
However, during that same time period only 59 individuals were referred to the Batterers Intervention Program in the 18-county northwest Kansas region, said Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp, Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services director of client services.
Options sponsored several events in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, including Purple Light Night, Turn the Lights SalON!, In Her Shoes and Paint the Town Purple events.
Zampieri-Lillpopp said of the reported incidents that are being referred to the court and end up in conviction, only a fraction of those convictions include required participation in Batterers Intervention.
A greater percentage of those convicted are referred to anger management classes, which Zampieri-Lillpopp said have proven to be ineffective at preventing repeat offenses.
"The perpetrators make decisions to perpetrate violence in order to gain the power and control over another person or to get things that they want," Zampieri-Lillpopp said. "One of the key features of accountability is not referring them to anger management or anything like that.
"If you refer them to a Batters Intervention Program, there is actually a chance that they could stop doing things. They're self-reflective programs. They have to pay for them. Being supervised is key."
In a Chicago study from 2007, men who participated in Batterer Intervention Programs were half as likely as those who did not to be rearrested for domestic violence. Those who completed the program were also less likely than those who were jailed to re-offend.
Studies in both Massachusetts in 2004 and Maine in 2006 found anger management classes did not reduce recidivism among batterers. Federal Office of Violence Against Women now prohibits any grant money given to the states to fund anger management programs for domestic violence offenders.
"That is a very bad practice," Zampieri-Lillpopp said of referring batterers to anger management classes. "They know exactly how to manage their anger. They use that anger as a tool, very effectively."
Options has tried to obtain conviction data in its catchment area on both domestic violence and sexual assault cases and has hit road blocks.
Either the data is difficult for prosecutors to produce from their computer systems or court records departments have been uncooperative, said Jennifer Hecker, Options executive director.
The consequences of not addressing domestic violence can be fatal. In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, 38 murders in Kansas were the result of domestic violence — 20 percent of murders in the state.
Options saw an increase in domestic violence services offered during the pandemic. Those numbers have continued to stay up, Zampieri-Lillpopp said.
The agency went from 9,500 services offered per year to more than 14,000 services offered in its 18-county service area.
Zampieri-Lillpopp said she thought more requests for services was a result of survivors being more aware of the services that are available but also an increase in incidents of domestic violence in the communities Options serves.
Options is the only domestic violence services agency in the state to have a mobile app, texting service and web chat. These applications can be easily hidden if a victim is in proximity to her abuser and all are available 24/7.
Options also has two advocates who visit mobile locations two days a week.
"We've done more, but we've also seen the fallout from that closeness, where people couldn't get help," Zampieri-Lillpopp said.
"That feature of our safety planning where the app disappears ... that's because you can't necessarily seek help when your abuser is standing there."
Increasing conviction rates and referrals to Batterer Intervention Programs are system-wide means to address domestic violence, but Zampieri-Lillpopp said addressing the issue starts on a more personal level.
"Believe people," she said. "Believe the survivor when they're telling you. 'He just got mad and smashed a plate and it cut me.' He smashed it at you? That's abnormal. That sounds abusive. Not, 'I'm sure it's fine' or 'I bet you're making something out of this that's not there.' 'He was just mad.' It's the kind of thing we hear a lot."
Options tries to educate professionals, including law enforcement, social services, court services and even hair dressers on what signs to look for and how to encourage survivors to seek help.
In the salon project, cosmetologist are learning how to refer domestic violence survivors to help safely.
"Salon professionals get really close to a lot of people, and they can see things that a lot of other people can't see," she said. "To refer people safely is a special skill that can be taught."
Zampieri-Lillpopp said everyone, including families, are affected by the circle of domestic violence.
"Curing it is going to take the entire village," she said.
Ellis County Attorney responds on Batterer Intervention
In Ellis County, if a person is convicted of a domestic violence offense and goes to prison, he is not referred to a batterer intervention program, County Attorney Robert Anderson said.
If they are convicted of a domestic violence offense and get probation, then almost certainly, they will be ordered to get a Batterer’s Intervention Evaluation and follow through with the course if screened in, he said.
The evaluation determines whether or not they will be screened in and required to complete the Batterer’s Intervention Program. So, there are some people who are convicted of a domestic violence offense who are ordered to do the evaluation, but don’t have to do the program.
Anderson said he did not know what the numbers are, but he would say a high percentage of people who are screened end up in the program.
This does not include cases in the rest of the 17 counties that are included in Options' service area.
Anderson noted several other factors that may affect statistics on domestic violence.
- Not every person Options provides services to will report to law enforcement.
- When cases are reported and/or arrests are made, a case may or may not get filed by the county attorney's office. There are a lot of factors that come into play, but not every arrest and not every report results in charges being filed.
- When charges are filed, not all of those people are convicted – some cases are dismissed; some case are diverted; some cases are still pending; etc.
- When people are convicted, it may not be the case that they are convicted of a domestic violence offense. There are many instances where a charge of domestic battery” is plead to battery. Although I don’t think this happens very often, a charge of domestic battery may be reduced to disorderly conduct (as an example), Anderson said.
How to get help
You can contact Options 24/7 at its toll free helpline at 1-800-794-4624, text HOPE to 847411, download the My Mobile Options app, 24-hour live chat online at help4abuse.org or virtually meet with an advocate at optionsdvsa.doxy.me.
All services are free and confidential.
Donate
You can support options with monetary donations. You can donate using a credit or debit card at https://help4abuse.org/donate/.