Federal law provides funding to states for the creation, development, and utilization of Family Advocacy Centers through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. The bottom line for the falsely accused is this: Domestic violence is now an enormous financial industry. Each state receives millions of federal dollars in grant money by adopting provisions of federal law.
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“(Women’s Shelter Centers) provide DSS (Department of Social Services) with additional clients. The women’s groups get more money and DSS gets more state and federal money. They both are artificially inflating their numbers. They inflate domestic violence statistics this way and through the use of coerced restraining orders. By artificially inflating the domestic violence statistics they are able to create political hysteria — leading to more funding.” Nev Moore, More Families in DSS…More $$ For Everyone: Unhealthy Relationship Between and Domestic Violence Industry
In effect, the government has created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Federal money is awarded to communities who can statistically justify the need for a family violence center. In so doing, the government itself perpetuates charges of domestic violence. It creates a “Domestic Violence Industry.” This circular reasoning mirrors the previous “crime de jour” of child sexual assault in the 1990’s. A comparison of the governmental domestic violence movement with the prior special interest group-driven child sexual assault hysteria illustrates:
“According to the late Dr. Richard Gardner, the reason for the alarming rise in child abuse allegations and specifically false allegations can be rationally explained. “There’s a complex network of social workers, mental health professionals, and law enforcement officials that actually encourages charges of child abuse — whether they are reasonable or not.” Dr. Gardner is referring to the fact that the Mondale Act (CAPTA) is responsible for the dramatic increase in child abuse charges. “In effect, the Mondale Act, despite its good intentions, created and continued to fund a virtual child abuse industry, populated by people whose livelihoods depend on bringing more and more allegations into the system.” Armin Brott, A System Out of Control: The Epidemic of False Allegations of Child Abuse
The Federal Government will award $20 million in grants in 2004 to communities across the nation to plan and develop Family Advocacy Centers. (United States Department of Justice The President’s Family Justice Center Initiative). The DoJ’s Fact Sheet reveals hidden financial incentives in the formation of centers to promote domestic violence cases. Family violence “services” will create a large number of jobs and benefit center associated professionals. Dropping cases will not. According to the DoJ Fact Sheet the Family Violence Centers may include the following “services”:
- Medical Care, Including On-site or Off-site Primary Physical Care, Mental Health Counseling for Victims and Dependents, Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Collection;
- Law Enforcement and Legal Assistance Services, Including On-site Help to Get Protective Orders Signed and Enforced, to Investigate and Prosecute Offenders, and Provide Witness Assistance and Court-based Victim Advocates;
- State-of-the-art Information Sharing and Case Management Systems;
- Social Services, Including Federal and State Welfare Assistance for Parents and Children;
- Employment Assistance, Including Employment and Career Counseling and Training Through Local One Stop Employment Centers or Other Local Services;
- Substance Abuse Treatment;
- Child-related Needs Such as Parenting Classes, Teen Pregnancy Services, Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Programs, Services for Child Witnesses of Domestic Violence, Assistance for Relocating Children into New Schools, Truancy Programs, and Youth Mentoring Programs;
- Housing and Transportation Assistance to Cover Immediate Needs and Help with Long-term Housing Solutions; and
- Chaplaincy or Faith-based Counseling Programs Providing Victims and Their Families with Non-sectarian Spiritual Guidance.
Which Professionals Directly Benefit From a Community-Based Family Violence Center?
- Medical: Physicians, S.A.N.E (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners), and Nurses;
- Law Enforcement: Police Investigators, Patrol, Polygraph Operators; Supervisors, Staff;
- Legal: District Attorney’s Offices; Assistant District Attorneys, Investigators, Staff;
- Social Services: Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, Caseworkers, Investigators, Supervisors, and Support Staff;
- Employment Offices: Employment Agencies, Workers, and Staff;
- “Forensic Interviewers” ;
- Substance Abuse Centers: Substance Abuse Counselors;
- Child Related Vendors; Counselors and Therapists;
- Housing Authorities; Placement and Personnel;
- Counseling Services: Mental Health, Rage and Anger, Battering Intervention Prevention Program Counselors, Marriage Counselors, Family Counselors;
- Women’s Advocacy Group Personnel;
- Women’s Shelter Placement Personnel and Shelter Personnel; and
- Victim Advocate Services Personnel (Advocates to Support Victims and Monitor the Individual Case from Arrest Through Trial)
Who On the Above List Benefits If No arrest and Charge are Made?
Ultimately, this begs the big question:
“Is the government interested in the quality or the quantity of domestic abuse cases?”
A critic of the Domestic Violence Industry, John Flaherty, co-chairman of the Fatherhood Coalition in Massachusetts states:
“This industry is an octopus. It’s got its tentacles in more and more parts of everyday life. It’s a political movement…This industry doesn’t answer to anybody. They’re in it mainly for the money…The industry’s problems may be about to increase, because it is becoming clear through scientific research that the whole premise of the movement and the industry it spawned — that “domestic violence” means bad men hitting helpless, innocent women — is just plain wrong.”John Maguire, The Booming Domestic Violence Industry, Massachusetts News
The Family Advocacy Centers will operate with the group mindset of most bureaucracies. “The agencies’ main objective is self preservation: to perpetuate the bureaucracy and to expand the bureaucracy.” (Silverstorn, The Truth About Child Protective Services).
The Method for Doing This is by Seeking and Making Cases.
How do the advocacy centers get the number of cases they need? A philosophical change at the most basic level was needed. In order to make the numbers work, the definition of domestic violence had to be expanded to extend beyond battering spouses and include normal family arguments and lover’s quarrels. In essence, the system adapted by accepting each domestic disturbance “911” call as a potential customer.
“A call to 911 is generally mutually assured destruction of a relationship, marriage, family, and the lives of all involved. It doesn’t matter that you’re innocent. Or that she attacked you first. Or that you both went over the line and that both of you want to put it behind you and work it out. The system will prosecute you and persecute you until you’ve confessed your sins — even if you’ve none to confess. And you’re not cured until they say you’re cured — even if you were never sick to begin with.”
Charles E. Corry, Ph.D., quoting Glenn Sacks (“What Happens When 911 is Dialed”):
“Zero Tolerance” and “No Drop“policies create a constant stream of what the advocacy centers need most: bodies. More arrests result in more persons charged. The assembly line then takes over, and the unwitting family becomes passed on from one self-interested protector to another. Post arrest the victim is “assisted” by the police detective, “forensic interviewer,” and the prosecutor. Incriminatory statements secured, the prosecution team will temporarily lose interest until trial.
At this point, the victim support groups take over, advocates are appointed, shelters are called, and counselors engaged. The list goes on until the family is emotionally, psychologically, and financially drained. And if it all goes perfectly for the team: conviction.
In essence, a great food chain is created, in which many professionals, counselors, physicians, and vendors, are feeding off persons arrested and charged under “Zero Tolerance” programs. Family advocacy salesmen freely admit the concept is a direct springboard from the child advocacy centers. An Allen Texas Police Investigator states:
“The children’s advocacy center works very well in Collin County…crime victims groups in Collin County work well together. So having a family justice center would encourage that more.” Dallas Morning News, Collin County Edition, March 14, 2004, “Groups Unite To End Domestic Violence.”
The financial rewards for family advocacy centers will not be dependent upon criminal convictions. The funding will be given to the centers regardless of the outcome of the case, or truth of the allegations. With absolute immunity from liability, the family advocacy center team members have no fear of any repercussions for their actions.
If you are facing allegations of Domestic Violence the time to act is now! Contact the Domestic Violence Defense Team at Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law.
