Columnist Sandy Thompson: Hold batterers accountable for their actions

Sandy Thompson

Friday, April 19, 2002 | 5:02 a.m.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is a public health epidemic, but there is no vaccine to fight it. The only way to eradicate it is to change our behavior and reactions.

"Of all the areas of law and social problems, domestic violence is one of the most critical to be addressed," said Nevada Supreme Court Justice Miriam Shearing.

Shearing recently joined Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and District Attorney Stewart Bell to open a conference on domestic violence at UNLV. They set the stage for two nationally known speakers -- Sarah Buel, a domestic violence survivor who graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and is a lecturer at the University of Texas School of Law, and pediatrician Victor La Cerva, who discussed the effects of domestic violence on children.

The conference, sponsored by the Boyd Law School and supported by the Agassi Charitable Foundation, didn't break any new ground. But it was noteworthy because of the attendees -- more than 100 judges, law enforcement officials, attorneys, domestic violence workers, therapists, educators and others.

The conference messages were clear:

Buel cited a federal model program that holds batterers economically accountable for the damage they do (paying to repair broken doors they bust in or replace clothes they rip up in a rage). After all, she said, "they'd have to pay if they did it to a stranger."

Bell said domestic violence cases are the toughest to successfully prosecute. He advocated better training for street law enforcement officers and equipping police cars with video cameras. "We need twice the manpower we have today," Bell said. Successful prosecution would deter a large percentage of batterers from repeating the offenses, he added.

Batterers are creative, charming and charismatic, Buel said. Hence, they often fool judges in court and police officers responding to domestic disputes. Judges, especially, need to know the dynamics of domestic violence. This is especially important in child custody cases.

Case plans should address victim and children's safety issues. Also, where were the children when the violent incident took place? Just because they weren't in the same room doesn't mean they don't know what's going on or are not emotionally harmed by the violence.

Dr. La Cerva said everyone -- especially children -- who witnesses domestic violence is harmed by it even if they don't have a physical mark on them. Many children who have witnessed domestic violence -- some under the age of 5 -- have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. They may appear anxious, hyperactive, withdrawn or depressed and have difficulty sleeping. "The diagnostic labels we give kids with this syndrome include ADHD, conduct disorders and anxiety and mood disorders," La Cerva said.

La Cerva likened society's view of domestic violence to drunken driving. The years-long public awareness campaigns about the dangers of driving while drunk, most notably the "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" ads, have led to a decrease in drunken-driving deaths and changes in state laws. La Cerva suggested a new campaign: "Friends Don't Let Friends Beat Their Wives."

Sarah Buel put domestic violence in very human terms when she told the conference attendees: "I am alive because so many of you fought for me and my children."