CSSLRV Director Myrna Dawson delivered a keynote today with collaborator, Dr. Peter Jaffe, Western University, entitled, “Paternal Filicide & Domestic Violence: The Need for Risk Assessment, Safety Planning, and Risk Management to Protect Children” at the 3rd Addressing Filicide conference in Prato, Italy. Dawson and Jaffe examine the need to increase awareness of the risk of lethality children face after parental separation and the importance of including children in safety and risk management plans. Using data from a national survey in Canada involving 2,000 professionals across multiple systems (violence against women agencies, justice, social services, health and corrections), this research attempts to address the gaps in knowledge regarding risk assessment, risk management, and safety planning strategies that can be used to address risk factors that arise post-separation. Dawson and Jaffe are Co-Directors of the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative With Vulnerable Populations, a 5-year SSHRC funded partnership grant.
