Guarded: County Officials Touch Up on Domestic Violence Tactics

May 27, 2011
By Jesse Campbell

John Guard, of the Pitt County Sheriff's Department, provided training to county law enforcement and victim advocacy officials on the dynamics of domestic violence. Photo submitted.

Looking to expose the truth about domestic violence and the recurring cycles that

victims become entangled in, John Guard of the Pitt County Sheriff's Department, shared with victim advocate groups how to identify impediments in bringing abusers to justice.

Guard, who started a domestic violence division within his department and an advocate for the cause, presided over two Friday sessions to share with local law enforcement tips on how to defuse possible dangerous situations and barriers case workers encounter within the system.

Employees with A Safe Home for Everyone, the domestic violence program of Ashe County Partnership for Children, vented some of their frustrations and grievances to Guard spent the day going over offender traits, excuses abusers give and the overall pattern offenders exhibit in any case and educated the group on the appropriate response to domestic violence.

"My goal is to clear your mind and let you see what's it like behind closed doors," Guard said during the training session.

He talked in detail about the patterns offenders can take victims through.

"We can predict the future in these cases, only the faces and names change," said Guard. "We all need to change our mindsets on domestic violence...If you truly embrace that you can make a difference in domestic violence."

To give detailed and possibly lasting impressions of real life examples of domestic violence, Guard played for the group audio clips of offenders verbally abusing and harassing their victims. One audio recording was a conversation between separated spouses in which the aggressor threatened the life of his former partner if that person went to the authorities or came between his or her right to see their children.

"Domestic violence is about power and control," Guard said. "It happens when that person (the aggressor) begins to lose control."

In 70 percent of the cases, according to a 1990 U.S. Crime survey, the abuse goes unreported until the separation occurs and on average, it takes the victim seven attempts before they can successfully leave an abusive relationship for good.

"Leaving is a process not an event," said Guard.

The barriers to leaving an abusive relationship can go beyond fear or minimization, Guard explained. It also can be hindered by low self esteem, promises of change by the abuser, hope, power or even financial reasons to go along with several other factors. All of these reasons, Guard said, are valid.

Another clip was a plea from an incarcerated offender asking his partner not to come to his court hearing and possibly testifying against him - victim intimidation has been one of the biggest impediments in putting abusers behind bars, Guard said.

The effects of domestic violence can also have lasting consequences on the children, who Guard explained offenders and victims are often oblivious to their presence when a domestic event takes place.

Guard presented pictures that children from broken homes illustrated when asked their version of the events. He explained the drawings showed more than just the emotions behind incidents of domestic violence but also how it shows the power structures in abusive relationships.

Guard also went over other gaps in the criminal justice system investigators have encountered; problems in deferred prosecution and structured sentencing as well as how offenders have learned to work the system and play on the value/moral belief systems of investigators.

Domestic violence programs across America are essentially, Guard explained, still in its infancy. It wasn't until prior to the turn of the millennium did the training become mandatory of many departments.

Glitches in the criminal justice system and unfair technicalities have also hindered the program that is still growing and shaping.

"We've done more to empower the defendant than the victim and we need to change that," Guard said.