My Life In Pictures & Words

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In case anyone is wondering, I'm putting my college research papers online here so I can find them easier and be more organized. If you would like to read and leave a critique I'd appreciate it.

By Angela L. Serrano

The gang problems that are found in major urban cities, are found in rural areas as well. There is not any city or town immune to the gangs and the mayhem they can bring. “federal law defines the term “gang” as “an ongoing group, club, organization, or association of five or more persons: (A) that has as one of its primary purposes the commission of one or more of the criminal offenses described in subsection (c); (B) the members of which engage, or have engaged within the past five years, in a continuing series of offenses described in subsection (c); and (C) the activities of which affect interstate or foreign commerce.” (FBI, 2009)

Commonly, a gang, or street gang is well-known in the city or areas it represents. Either because of the way they present themselves out in public, or because everyone usually has family, friends or acquaintances that are affiliated with some form of gang activity. Especially the smaller town or city. The members of the gang can also be recognized by these traits:

• “The group has three or more members, aged 12–24.

• Members share an identity, typically linked to a name, and often other symbols.

• Members view themselves as a gang, and they are recognized by others as a gang.

• The group has some permanence and a degree of organization.

• The group is involved in an elevated level of criminal activity.” (Department of Justice, 2012)

Gangs have been a growing problem for the last 25 to 30 years, especially in more populated urban areas. Lately the crimes they are committing are getting mainstream attention and more media coverage for the crimes they are involved in. “Recent examples include white-collar crimes, human trafficking, prostitution rings, infiltration of governmental and criminal justice agencies, usage of social networking sites and other Internet sites to coordinate criminal activity, and affiliation with domestic extremist groups.” (Department of Justice, 2012)

Recent studies have suggested that gang activity occurs in a cycle. There may be times of low activity and a sense of calm in the streets and neighborhoods. This, unfortunately, bever lasts for extended periods of time. The uptick in violent crimes, such as stabbings, shootings and even assault charges, seem to coincide with movement from rival gangs stepping into the current gang's territory.

The local county and statewide response to gang activity follow a generalized way of action and can include these top five strategies:

1. “Neighborhood mobilization (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

2. Social intervention, youth outreach programs (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

3. Provisions for social and economic opportunities, such as at-risk schools, and job training (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

4. Gang suppression and incarceration (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

5. Development of organized tasks forces in every police department.” (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

Neighborhood mobilization is a broad term for community outreach. We need people in the community to care about these young people and try to help them, before they run out of money to join a gang. Setting up afterschool sports, clubs, or homework help through the local community centers or even the actual school site.” Follow the school district rules for how to get involved and get involved. Some police departments have developed community-oriented strategies, with considerable attention to community collaboration, social intervention, and even opportunity enhancement. Some police officers assigned to the gang problem have directly provided counseling, job development and referral, and tutoring, and have engaged in extensive community relations and development activities” (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

Social intervention and youth outreach programs need willing volunteers, organizers and people who really care about these kids and want to invest in the future of these children and invest in their communities.

Provisions for social and economic development come in step with the community coming together to save the children. Small businesses owners take a chance and hire that teenager to help take out the trash or stock shelves. Giving someone a chance to earn a living or know what being a productive member of society feels like can make a difference.

Once these kids are involved with the gangs, it does not mean it is time to stop trying to reach out. They can be saved from living a gang lifestyle. Using tactics like more diversion programs, community service, “some judges try to use the court as a basis for a community-oriented approach in which a variety of community, school, family, and justice system organizations concentrate efforts to address the special needs of the youth gang member” (Ojj Dp B & Ov, 2004)

The development of gang units, and tasks forces, can be beneficial on both sides, first it allows the officers a chance to familiarize themselves with the members and dynamics of each gang in their authority and it allows the gang members a chance to see if the officer is legit in what he says about wanting to help.

I believe the way to combat gang activity is to prevent it from the start. Stop it before it happens by stopping that kid from becoming a gang member. Finding the necessary funds needed to start outreach programs is only one of the challenges but finding the people in the community who care enough to want to help the kids.

Resources:

Department of Justice. (2012). Frequently Asked Questions About Gangs. National Gang Center; Department of Justice. https://nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov/about/faq#faq-1-what-is-a-gang

FBI. (2009). A Brief Review of Federal and State Definitions. FBI. www.fbi.org/gangs

By Angela Serrano

The country’s law enforcement officers have found themselves under scrutiny as of late, due to the high-profile excessive use of force cases that have been highly publicized. The media has shown the worst of the worst-case scenarios, when it is far from that with most law enforcement officers.

Most law enforcement officials in the country that overlook police officers, want their officers to be prepared for anything, not to panic and to be in control. That comes with training and good leadership. Training from day one should be on a consistent schedule, meaning there should always be training available to every officer, regardless of their label. Whether patrol, Sergeant or captain, everyone should have training consistently.

There is a Use-of-force continuum that many law enforcement officers must follow. This continuum gives the standard for use of force, when to use any, and how much to use. They use policies that describe the use of force and when to escalate it for higher use of force scenarios. These policies show an increase in levels and what is appropriate use of force for scenarios of incidents.

An example of what the levels of force and the reason to use each level is as follows:

• The arrival of an officer; compliance with commands of an officer

o Just the arrival of a police officer gets everyone involved to stop and show respect for the law enforcement officer and is enough to diffuse any situation that may have been starting.

o The police officer is pleasant and nonthreatening, with no commanding statements used.

• Commands / Uses words to command the scene- use of force nonphysical

o Police officers state commands with calm voice, using nonthreatening language. “Such as Let me see your identification and registration." (National Institute of Justice, 2009)

o Police officer may find himself having to repeat commands and with that the increase in volume and less friendly approach is made. Only to gain compliance and to have control of the scene.

• “Empty-Hand Control “— Police officers uses their own body force to gain control quickly of the situation and suspect.

o “Soft technique.” (National Institute of Justice, 2009) Police officer may use holds, grabs, take downs, to secure the individual and to restrain him from hurting himself or others.

o “Hard technique.” (National Institute of Justice, 2009) Police officer may use physical force such as punches or kicks to restrain the individuals

• “Less-Lethal Methods “(National Institute of Justice, 2009) —Police officers use nonlethal techniques to gain control of situation and suspect.

o “Blunt impact” (National Institute of Justice, 2009). Police officers may feel the need to use a baton or nightstick, may also use a projectile, like a rubber bullet on a combative person. (National Institute of Justice, 2009)

o “Chemical.” Police officers may find they need the use of a chemical agent to help subdue a suspect, and will use the appropriate item, such as pepper spray, pepper bullets or other nonlethal manner of control. (National Institute of Justice, 2009)

o “Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs).” (National Institute of Justice, 2009) Police Officers may find they have the need of something more powerful to control the combative suspect and may use “CEDs” to get the suspect under control. They discharge elevated levels of electricity (Taser) (National Institute of Justice, 2009)

• The use of Lethal Force: Police officers find they need to pull their lethal weapon to gain control of the situation when the suspect is an immediate threat to a person or officer.

o Only use deadly force weapons such as their service weapon when it is needed to protect someone or themselves. (National Institute of Justice, 2009)

o

The Use of Force in a police department needs to have clear cut lines when to draw their weapons and when it is okay to use them. It cannot be when drawing their weapons is their first instinct when the suspect is not threatening them or anyone for that matter. There needs to be better techniques to deescalate situations down and not causing more stress by automatically pulling their side arm. (Oliver, 2022)

With these 5 levels of use of force, we should be able to create a standard practice, where people do not have to be afraid of being pulled over for fear of losing their life. We need to show the community that the police are not the bad guys, that does not mean there are no bad guys in the police. Sometimes they slip through, but transparency as to what happens to those problems is needed to continue the trust the community has with the police.

References:

National Institute of Justice. (2009, August 3). The Use-of-Force Continuum. National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/use-force-continuum

By Angela L. Serrano

The criminal justice system of the United States is built on laws and society conforming to these laws. For adults, there are many theories that can easily answer criminologists' questions of why people commit crimes. In the juvenile justice system, it becomes more complicated for a few reasons. The first being the juvenile is under the control of parental figures, the education institutions, and their peers. The second is their brain anatomy is different from an adult. Figuring out the reason for juvenile crime is therefore made more difficult. Looking at the possible theories and considering the two main factors stated earlier, the theories that stand out as the most able to answer questions about the juvenile offender is the positivism theory and labeling theory.

Positivism theory is the criminology theory that can explain delinquency in juveniles because it can be described as linking crime to outside and internal influences, such as psychological factors, that fall upon the juvenile and is the reason, they can commit crimes, and the outside influences that can push a juvenile to commit crimes. This can bridge criminal behavior with both the psychological and sociological influences on the offender.

For example, positivism theory can link the crime the juvenile committed to the neglect and lack of parental care and guidance instead of the predetermined decision of the juvenile. (The Chicago School, 2021) Another example of positivism theory is when a juvenile commits crime because the friends he surrounds himself commits crimes and he finds these friends to have more influence over him at that time.

The differences in positivism theory can be explained in two separate types, individual and sociological. These two types can explain how other forces directly influenced the juvenile and influenced negatively and made committing crimes acceptable.

Individual positivism can connect criminal actions with psychological factors in the juvenile. There are criminologists who can link psychiatric or personality issues that can be found in the juvenile are the cause of criminal behavior. As a result, psychological therapy and treatment could be used to help rehabilitate and mitigate criminal behavior tendencies. (The Chicago School, 2021)

Sociological positivism focuses on social factors found in the juvenile's life “can lead to a higher propensity for crime.” (The Chicago School, 2021) Such sociological factors can be family, poverty, peer pressure and the type of home life they are exposed to. This type of positivism is found to be “mitigated” through a change in their social environment.

Labeling theory is when a group or person is labeled and stigmatized as being a certain way, causing them to act that way because it changes the way they see themselves. It can be called a self-fulfilling prophecy. When a label of deviance or criminal is put upon a juvenile, especially a juvenile that is already suffering from other issues, the label can overtake their whole idea of themselves. It can be all they see, and of course what they start to believe. It is what society does to people differently than them and what is considered normal. That automatically means anyone that is a minority, in poverty, looks different and speaks differently, all receive labels from the societal norm. “Those with criminal labels are distrusted and distained widely, and individuals may believe that criminals are completely unable to behave morally.” (Simply Psychology, 2022)

An example of labeling theory is when a juvenile is seen with unkempt clothes and looks dirty, if they are seen around a store, the owner will watch him more closely when he walks the aisles, making sure he does not steal anything. Because of his appearance, the owner automatically labels him a thief. This in turn changes the juvenile’s way of thinking about himself and changes the way he sees himself.

I believe working with juveniles at a younger age and intervening before they fall into the mentality where these issues can affect them negatively. If there is neglect in the home, create after school programs where they can learn to trust adults and learn to bond and feel they matter. If it is psychological instances that influence juveniles, working with them at an early age can help mitigate the negative impact of being without help. Working with juveniles is the only way to stop adult crime in the future.

Resources:

The Chicago School. (2021, July 2). What is Positivism in Criminology? | The Chicago School. Insight Digital Magazine. https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/psychology/what-is-positivism-in-criminology/

By Angela L. Serrano

On December 2, 2015, the city of San Bernardino was added to the growing list of the nation’s mass shootings. A mid-morning staff training turned Christmas party had over 50 employees in attendance. The Inland Regional Center houses county employees that provide services for thousands of disabled residents of San Bernardino County, was the location where the shooting took place. What was thought to be a disgruntled employee enacting revenge turned out to be so much worse as the evidence was discovered.

Syed Rizwan Farook, 28 was employed at the IRC and had attended the employee Christmas party, until he was in a “dispute with another employee and left angrily” (Nagourney et al., 2015) He returned roughly around 11 am with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, wearing tactical gear, heavily armed with high power rifles and had even planted three explosives that did not detonate.

Entering the building, the two suspects started firing at the employees enjoying their Christmas party, striking victim after victim, killing fourteen people, wounding seventeen, resulting in this country’s “deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11 and the worst mass shooting since Sandy Hook.” (Sage, 2020) The two then fled in a SUV and went on the run. Law enforcement would quickly be in pursuit and with up to 20 police officers involved in the standoff, the suspects decided to go out in a hail of bullets, as they exited their SUV, shooting, resulting in one police officer being shot, and the suspects dead.

The police response was quick, as the first responders arrived 4 minutes after the first shot was reported. Emergency services were called immediately when the first shot rang out, and the quick thinking of those inside the building contributed to the fast response of the police. Everything ran smoothly until off duty officers began to arrive, in civilian clothes, running to the scene to help, adding to the confusion, and adding stress to the officer in command. Some of the officers came from the county probation office, located only 2 miles away, allowing them to arrive before most police officers and start the triage process for the wounded victims, saving lives in the process.

Many first responders did not have tactical or emergency first aid training, and this was changed after this event. Advanced first aid kits and training would be essential and important for a better outcome for the victims.

The FBI became involved when it was apparent the attack was a terrorist's attack instead of just a mass shooting, due to the evidence found at the suspects house and social media posts. The female suspect had posted her allegiance to ISIS and wanted to get their attention, even though ISIS was not directly involved, the shooting was what is known as home grown terrorists act. The amount of ISIS information found on their computers was compiled by the shooters over the last year resulted in the shooting.

Looking back, the law enforcement agencies that became involved all handled the attack with immediate response, extreme care and with the utmost professionalism. Because every agency involved had known what was needed of them, the result was a group effort of agencies who all worked together because of training and planning ahead of time. It was what San Bernardino needed at the time and helped in the healing for the city. The investigation that occurred after resulted in several more arrests and convictions and the FBI was even able to get the life insurance money the shooter had left his mother back.

This is a case that should have been stopped by the internet searches and posts that came from the suspects. The DHS had people listening and watching for red flag words, and this couple slid under the radar. It shows that even if we cannot prevent a tragedy from happening, with proper training and collaboration, law enforcement can still save lives and stop any other attacks from happening.

Resources:

Nagourney, A., Lovett, I., & Pérez-Peña, R. (2015). San Bernardino Shooting Kills at Least 14; Two Suspects Are Dead (Published 2015). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting.html

By Angela Serrano

Domestic Violence

The crime of domestic violence, as defined by the Center for Family Justice, is a pattern of controlling, coercive behavior that may or may not include physical violence, verbal, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse and results in the victim being under the complete control of the abuser. This crime has been around since the beginning of people cohabiting and deciding to live their lives together. It was just not considered illegal. From the time before the Middle Ages (753 B.C. to the 1300s), it was considered an obligation of the husband to castigate his wife and children if needed. This was a customary practice so much so that it was written in the rules of marriage: "Rules of Marriage... When you see our wife commit an offense... scold her sharply, bully and terrify her. If this don’t work…take up a stick and beat her soundly, for it is better to punish the body and correct the soul than to damage the soul and spare the body." (Marshall & Baron, 2023) The 1500s were known as the "Golden Age of the Rod" in England, and it was considered normal for the wives and children to be taught that the head of the household came before everyone and must be obeyed, and if they failed, they would be beaten. Later, it was accepted by the common law that women would be beaten by their husbands and that it would be legal only if the rod were not thicker than his thumb, known as "the rule of thumb" (Marshall & Baron, 2023)

It was not until 1829 that the husband’s right to beat his wife was completely abolished in England. In 1871, there was the first state, Alabama, that finally took away the rights of husbands to beat their wives. Massachusetts was next to follow. In 1874, North Carolina’s Supreme Court made it illegal for a man to chastise his wife, yet followed it with, "If no permanent injury has been inflicted, nor malice, cruelty, nor dangerous violence shown by the husband, it is better to draw the curtain, shut out the public gaze, and leave the parties to forget and forgive." (Marshall & Baron, 2023) In 1882, Maryland became the first state to make it illegal for a husband to beat his wife. The difference between Alabama in 1871 and Maryland in 1882 was that in Alabama, it took away the right for a husband to beat his wife, and in Maryland in 1882, it was finally made illegal.

California law established penal code 242, 243.e), and 243.4 as the battery against a spouse or someone who cohabitates with the defendant or used to cohabitate with him. A conviction under this law is a misdemeanor and can be punished with up to a year in county jail and a fine of no more than $2000. The offender must also complete a batterer’s treatment program. (California Legislative Information, 2016) This is what is known as domestic battery, and the victim does not need to be injured.

Another domestic violence law that is considered more serious is "Penal Code 273.5, Corporal Injury to a spouse or cohabitant." (California Legislative Information, 2016b). This requires a physical injury in some way to have occurred. This is a felony and can have a punishment of either two, three, or four years in the state prison system and or a fine of $6000. This also states that if the offender has a prior conviction less than seven years ago, the fine increases from $6,000 to $10,000. (California Legislative Information, 2016b)

For the offender to be guilty of these crimes, the prosecution must prove the elements of the crime:

1. "The defendant touched the victim." (myadmin, 2018)

2. "The victim was a "protected person" under 243(e)(1)." (myadmin, 2018)

3. "The touching was harmful or offensive; and" (myadmin, 2018)

4. "When the defendant touched the victim, the defendant was acting willfully." (myadmin, 2018)

"Willfully" is defined as on purpose; willingly. "Harmful or offensive" is defined as physical force applied to the victim that causes pain or a physical injury. "Note that the slightest touching can be enough to commit this offense if it is done in a rude or angry way" (myadmin, 2018) The protected person is anyone who is or has been in an intimate relationship with the offender. A spouse, fiancé, boyfriend/girlfriend, cohabiting parent of their children, and can be either a same-sex relationship or a heterosexual relationship.

In the last decade, domestic violence has been more commonly referred to as intimate partner violence. It has been prevalent in the media in the last few years due to Johnny Depp and the allegations that were made against him. Watching the trial on television, the evidence that became known showed that domestic violence is not a "wife-beating" crime anymore. The male population of victims of intimate partner violence is higher than people imagine. According to the Office for National Statistics, male victims of domestic violence make up about one third of the total number of domestic violence victims. In 2020, 1.6 million women and 757,000 men reported being abused. (Pirret, 2022).

The effects of this type of crime are long-lasting and can take on several forms. The main priority is to ensure the victim has been removed from the situation and is in a safe environment. The challenge many family members face when a loved one is a victim of domestic abuse is getting them away from their abuser and keeping them away. The victim of domestic violence is not a victim of a one-time occurrence. The abuse is gradual and then can escalate to the point of death in some cases. By the time the family becomes aware of the abuse, it has already been going on for some time. Getting the victim help after they leave their abuser is imperative but may be hard to do. It may be hard to convince them they need help.

The victim, depending on the type and severity of abuse, will take as long as they need to heal and feel safe. The physical, emotional, and mental abuse all leave wounds. The wounds will all take time to heal; the physical wounds will heal far quicker than any emotional or mental wounds, and each wound will leave a scar. The lasting effects of mental abuse range from post-traumatic stress disorder, including symptoms of night terrors and anxiety, to memory loss. There is also a tendency to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs. Depression and low self-esteem are common effects of abuse. (Joyful Heart Foundation, 2022)

Symptoms of emotional abuse can include feelings of not being worthy or unlovable and thinking that everything is their fault. They may feel lost and feel the need to return to their abuser, because of feelings of loneliness and thoughts of always being alone, like their abuser told them. This is the critical time that a victim needs the support system to remind them that they are safe now and the abuser did not love them. Love is not causing pain or hurting the one they claim to love. (Joyful Heart Foundation, 2022)

There are several theories that relate to domestic violence, and depending on where the focus is, one can determine which theory can be used. Deciding if the focus is finding out why the abuser decides to abuse or looking at what causes the victim to find a relationship with an abuser and, more importantly, why a victim stays with the abuser.

The most obvious theory is feminist theory. This theory goes into the roles established before the Middle Ages, which put the man in the dominant role, waiting to be served by his wife and child. Men have been found holding onto this perception of what their role of dominance is and, therefore, finding it their right to abuse their wives behind closed doors. This feminist theory is pushing for a complete restructuring of the traditional family unit due to this being a social issue. That society has pushed what they considered appropriate gender roles, elevating the male to the head of the household, creating an inequality between the husband and wife, and giving the male the unrealistic power to be in control. Reestablishing a more equal balance between the two married couples will shift those views away from a dominant husband and subservient wives, who need to be punished for disobeying, to a better partnership where the household is divided equally, with both at the head of the household. This shift will remove the attitude that it is okay for husbands to hit their wives.

Another theory that has some elements that agree with the feminist theory is the social learning theory. This theory states that men abuse because it is a learned behavior. The men who batter "do so because it works for them." (McCue, 1995). They get what they want and maintain control in their home. This theory states that the abusive man had witnessed a male authority figure use violence "successfully" as a child and gotten what he wanted, causing him to learn this behavior and use abuse in a relationship the same way, when he grew up. The same way a victim of domestic abuse is a learned behavior Social Learning Theory holds that "women learn their victim behavior either through victimization as children or by witnessing their mothers' beatings." (McCue, 1995).

The main belief of social learning theory is in direct contradiction to feminist theory, which does not believe that victims learn to be victims by watching their mothers being abused, believing this is victim blaming. The feminist theory believes that the reason victims of domestic abuse stay and participate in the cycle of violence with their abuser is their way to survive. They (feminist theory) believe the social structure is the reason for domestic abuse and "that men choose to batter because they have been socialized to believe they are entitled to superior rights and that society's institutions have traditionally supported men's sense of entitlement." (McCue, 1995).

Another theory is an environmental theory called routine activities theory, or RAT. The focus of RAT is on the three specifics needed for crime to occur. RAT states that:

• A suitable target (Author Unknown, pg. 24, N.D)

• A motivated offender (Author Unknown, pg. 24, N.D)

• A lack of guardianship (Author Unknown, pg. 24, N.D)

Without these exact factors taking place, crime cannot be committed, because any part of this triangle missing will affect the criminal actions needed. For example, a suitable target is anything that makes a good target, either a person or an object. This target will have four characteristics. 1. It needs to be of greater value than the punishment if caught. 2. Inertia, the availability of motion. Is the target easily removable? 3. Visibility makes the target and the valuables visible, making the crime that much more worth it. 4. Access; how hard is it going to be to commit the crime? The access to the valuable targets will determine how much effort will be needed to find valuable items; the more accessible, the less effort needed to commit the crime. An example would be if a burglar broke into a fast-food restaurant, hoping to just get some pocket change, only to find out the safe was left open with the cash still there. Now the value of the target just increased, as well as inertia, because the money was already placed in bags for easy transport. It was viable to make the crime that much easier to commit, and lastly, the access, to the target was effortless to obtain.

A motivated offender is anyone willing to commit the crime. This variable comes into play usually only once, and that is before the first crime has been committed. Usually, after the first crime has been committed, the offender will always be motivated to commit another crime.

The lack of guardianship can be as simple as finding the target alone and vulnerable.

Critics of this theory do not like it for personal crimes, like domestic violence, but more for property crimes. The fact that abusers see their victims as their property must have slipped past these critics. Domestic violence uses each of the aspects needed for RAT: the value of the target, the motivated offender, and nobody around to help her. RAT can be used for domestic violence.

Critical Victimology: This was created by Mawby and Walklate in the early 1990s and was a combination of both positive and radical theories, but it looks at the wider social picture and allows for policies to be examined as well as services for the victim. "It provides for the naming, labeling, and discussion of experiences that were once hidden, allowing the generalities of victimization and the lived experiences of victims to be put into context with each other." (Author Unknown, pg. 23, N.D) This theory gives perspective on social institutions and questions what role they played. It can be seen from an individual or cultural experience of victimization, realizing that to get a better understanding of victimization, both viewpoints are needed.

Lifestyle theory says that personal victimization is more likely to occur when the victim chooses to live certain lifestyles. In domestic violence, lifestyle theory can be used because the victim has chosen to stay with the abuser, knowing what can happen. She has therefore placed herself more susceptible to becoming a victim of domestic violence. She chose to stay with an abusive man.

The resources for the victims of domestic violence have finally started to become available. Compensation for being a victim of domestic violence is becoming more available. Help for victims of domestic violence is finally becoming more readily available now as compared to the past. There are shelters available, counseling, and help in testifying against their abusers. Every district attorney’s office in California employs a victim advocate that works closely with survivors of domestic violence. They attend court proceedings with them, get them counseling, help them apply for benefits, and are with them every step of the way. They then set them up with a case worker after the court process is over, to help them enroll in the VINE program. This is the Victim Information Notification Everyday system. This allows victims of crimes like domestic violence to be notified before they happen when their abuser is moved, up for parole, or released in a timely manner.

There are also several shelters that take women and children and are there to help women leave dangerous situations. They provide a room with beds and dressers and a private bathroom; they provide clothes for the victim and children, if they must leave without anything. They provide three meals a day and snacks, transportation to any DR. appointments or court cases, and childcare for any appointments the mother has. They provide counseling and group classes to learn about domestic violence. They are a catholic based home that will give a place for victims to be safe and allow up to three years to stay and get back on their feet. I know about this shelter because I stayed here after I left my domestic violence experience.

In conclusion, I think this subject needs to be discussed more. There needs to be a shift in the perspective that it is a "personal matter" and that it is "none of my business what happens" between two people in their home. Yes, it is the person’s business if they could step in and stop the abuse being witnessed. They may save a life that day. I have experienced being ignored as I was screaming for help, watching people look outside and then close their door, not wanting to get involved, as I was being dragged across the floor by my hair. Nobody stepped in to help me. I am only glad I survived that time. The next victim might not be so lucky.

References:

Author Unknown. (n.d.). Victimology. e-text. Chapter 1 and page numbers 23-30

Birdsall, N. (2018). Intimate Partner Violence Victimology: Factors Affecting Victim Engagement with the Police and Criminal Justice System Volume 1 of 2. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/161125147.pdf

California Legislative Information. (2016a). Codes Display Text. Ca.gov. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&division=&title=8.&part=1.&chapter=9.&article=

California Legislative Information. (2016b). Codes Display Text. Ca.gov. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&division=&title=9.&part=1.&chapter=2.&article=

Green Haven 4 Help. (2020). The Impact of Domestic Violence on Victims - Green Haven 4 Help. Green Haven 4 Help. https://greenhaven4help.com/the-impact-of-domestic-violence-on-victims/

Joyful Heart Foundation. (2022). Effects of Domestic Violence. Joyful Heart Foundation. https://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/learn/domestic-violence/effects-domestic-violence

Kawson, J. (2012). Sociological Theories of Intimate Partner Violence: Gateway Search for Eastern Gateway Community College Library. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment., 22(55), 572–590. https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.egcc.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=7161cfb4-0d9a-4245-83aa-7f81f15c7290%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=77441204&db=sih

Kelly, U. (2011, July). Theories of Intimate Partner Violence: From Blaming the Victim to Acting Against Injustice... ResearchGate; Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51552535_Theories_of_Intimate_Partner_Violence_From_Blaming_the_Victim_to_Acting_Against_Injustice_Intersectionality_as_an_Analytic_Framework

Marshall, N., & Baron, S. (2023). INTRO TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE History, Types, Impact & Other Key Issues. Ca.gov. https://www.courts.ca.gov/partners/documents/dvintro2.ppt#:~:text=Senate%20passes%20Domestic%20Violence%20Act%20of%201978.

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