Evaluating Specialized Training for First Responders to Detect Non-Fatal Strangulation

• In Event: Policing Sexual, Domestic, and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that first responders often fail to detect non-fatal strangulation in the context of intimate partner violence, even though it poses serious risks to a survivor’s health and well-being. Survivors are frequently reluctant to report strangulation, and research indicates that officers lack the training to identify its indicators. In response, the City of Burleson, Texas, implemented a municipal ordinance in 2018 requiring a standardized approach to all IPV incidents involving strangulation. Prior to its implementation, Burleson first responders underwent specialized training on strangulation signs and symptoms. A pre-post self-report survey was used to assess the impact of training on first responders’ strangulation-related knowledge, and this was compared with survey data from first responders at a control site who had not received the training. To investigate how effectively this knowledge was applied, a content analysis of police incident reports was conducted before and after the ordinance, and at the control site, to gauge officers’ ability to document signs and symptoms of strangulation. Findings are presented alongside a discussion of further policy implications.

Authors

• Tara O'Connor Shelley, Tarleton State University

• Cortney Franklin, Washington State University