UC Law School summit focuses on domestic violence response in Hamilton Co.

More than 12 million people per year are abused by their partner. One in four women and one in seven men have been the victims of severe physical violence from a partner in their lifetime. And, nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

These statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline tell a grim story about incidents of relationship abuse in the U.S. today.

For these reasons, the Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the University of Cincinnati College of Law is hosting the “Domestic Violence Summit: Collaborating for Safer Communities,” from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, at the law school.

The summit will bring together local stakeholders and representatives from various fields to improve system-wide responses to domestic violence in Hamilton Co. through communication and coordination.  

The summit includes training on a range of topics:

• Lethality factors and assessments, batterer manipulation, the systemic challenges and obstacles that a victim faces in leaving and seeking legal protection;
• Research on recantation;
• Leaving as a process;
• Why victims stay and/or don’t participate in prosecution; violations of stay away or protection orders; and
• Post-conviction best practices.

The keynote speaker for the event is Kit Gruelle, a survivor-turned-advocate who has taught and lectured nationally on system-wide responses to domestic violence. Gruelle is featured in the HBO documentary film "Private Violence."

The afternoon session will be interactive, designed to hone-in on specific system-wide issues in Hamilton Co.

This event is co-sponsored by the YWCA, Women Helping Women, the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, Hamilton County Adult Probation, the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, and the Center for Race, Gender and Social Justice at the College of Law.