KC's domestic violence court launches national first
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Kansas City's domestic violence court will be the first in the nation to implement a new program meant to reduce recidivism among abusive fathers.
Why it matters: Domestic violence-related deaths in KCMO have reached record highs in recent years, with police fielding thousands of calls annually.
Driving the news: The city earlier in October announced Fathers for Change, a one-on-one therapy model designed to stop aggressive thoughts and behaviors, end substance abuse and improve co-parenting.
- Municipal Judge Courtney Wachal, who leads the domestic violence court, said in a statement that the program "offers a unique approach to breaking the cycle of domestic violence" through emotional regulation.
Zoom in: So far this year in Kansas City, 19 people have been killed as a result of domestic violence, according to police and Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.
- The only year in the past 12 years with more domestic violence deaths was 2023.
- About 5,000 police calls regarding domestic violence come in every year, according to Johnson. That's about 14 per day.
Zoom out: Carla Smith Stover, head of the program and psychologist at Yale University, tells Axios that fathers play a big role in domestic violence.
- Stover says rates of domestic violence are high among families with young children, which has a "substantial" impact on childhood development.
- "Fatherhood is a motivator for men to engage in treatment," she says, adding they often want to be good role models for their kids.
How it works: Wachal tells Axios they are working on how to implement the program, which could be offered as a diversion program for low-level offenders as well as a condition of probation for more serious cases.
- It's funded through a grant from the Health Forward Foundation.
What they're saying: "Parenting programs that accompany offender intervention programs are quite effective," Sara Brammer, vice president of Family Violence Services at Synergy Services, tells Axios.
Yes, but: Brammer says the standard is group counseling, not one-on-one sessions — and that an option for co-parent counseling could make survivors feel pressure or create unsafe situations.
Stover says Fathers for Change is a therapy model fit for domestic violence and other serious parenting issues.
- She says co-parent sessions can increase communication, especially since families involving domestic violence sometimes stay together.
- "Most low-level domestic violence cases involve reunification, so we must invest in offenders as well as survivors," Prosecutor Johnson tells Axios.
Between the lines: Missouri law makes 50-50 custody the default in custody battles unless the court finds a "pattern of domestic violence."
What's next: Brammer says studies currently underway will help determine the effectiveness of Fathers for Change.
- "If done right, recidivism reduces and we potentially save lives," Johnson says.