Season 3 Episode 10: “Slow Motion Murder:” Widening the understanding of the link between domestic violence and child deaths

With upsetting frequency, the news will report a story of a child murdered by their mother’s partner. Sometimes this murder happens in the context of separation. Other times it is part of perpetrators' overall pattern of violence toward multiple family members. Unfortunately, dramatic homicides only tell part of the story. There are strong correlations between domestic violence and neglect deaths.  Child suicides also appear to happen in the context of domestic violence. 

In this episode Ruth and David explore the connection between domestic violence and child deaths including: 

• How males are three times more likely to murder their own children 
• How domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities 
• The barriers to fully identifying pathways to child deaths in the context of domestic violence 
• Actions professionals can take to improve the prevention efforts through identification of the risk of child death  including better understanding of how perpetrators interfere with the care of children 

Self-care note: The content of this episode may be very challenging for some listeners.