California passes SB 40 requiring law enforcement to warn DV victims about the dangers of strangulation
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Strangulation is one of the best predictors for the subsequent homicide of victims of domestic violence. One study showed that the odds of becoming an attempted homicide victim increased by 700 percent, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800 percent for women who had been strangled by their partner.
In response to the severity of strangulation in domestic violence cases, California passed SB 40 in 2018. SB 40 additionally requires law enforcement responding to a domestic violence incident to include a statement informing the victim that strangulation may cause internal injuries and encouraging the victim to seek medical attention.
In January of 2019, the Contra Costa County Strangulation Task Force was created as a response to the lethal implications of strangulation for domestic violence victims. The Task Force is a multi-agency team with representatives from domestic violence agencies, law enforcement and healthcare agencies which meets on an on-going basis.
Head– pinpoint red spots (petechiae) on scalp, hair pulled, bump(s), skull fracture, concussion.
Face– red or flushed, petechiae to the left or right eyeball, bloodshot eyes.
Eyes and Eyelids– petechiae to the left or the right eyeball, bloodshot eyes.
Ear– petechiae (external and/or ear canal), bleeding from ear canal.
Nose– bloody nose, broken nose, petechiae.
Mouth– bruising, swollen tongue, swollen lips, cuts/abrasions.
Under the chin- redness, scratch marks, bruise(s), abrasions.
Neck-redness, scratch marks, fingernail impressions, bruise(s), abrasions, swelling, ligature marks.
Chest and Shoulders- redness, scratch marks, bruise(s), abrasions.
Voice changes– raspy and/or hoarse voice, coughing, unable to speak, complete loss of voice.
Swallowing changes– trouble swallowing, painful swallowing, neck pain, nausea/vomiting, drooling.
Breathing changes– difficulty breathing, hyperventilation, unable to breathe.
Behavioral changes– restlessness or combativeness, problems concentration, amnesia, agitation, Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome, hallucinations.
Vision changes– complete loss or black & white vision, seeing ‘stars’, blurry darkness, fuzzy around the eyes.
Hearing changes– complete loss of hearing, gurgling, ringing, buzzing, popping, pressure, tunnel-like hearing.
Other changes– Memory loss, unconsciousness, dizziness, headaches, involuntary urination or defecation, loss of strength, going limp.
California passes SB 40 requiring law enforcement to warn DV victims about the dangers of strangulation
Carey Watson MD, FACOG, attends the Strangulation Training Institute 4-Day training. Suggests Contra Costa County create a Strangulation Task Force.
First Strangulation Task Force meeting held. Goals include: Implement SB 40 by developing county-wide response protocol; create a strangulation advisement card; Raise awareness of the lethal nature of strangulation and services available for victims of strangulation and community agencies serving those victims.
Task Force update the Police Chiefs Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Protocol, creates the Strangulation Advisement Card and presents those to the Police Chiefs for approval and uploaded into ARIES.
Task force holds several trainings for medical professionals including CCRMC and Kaiser around signs of strangulation and the new Strangulation Protocols for the county.
Task Force trains family Justice Center and Stand advocates on the new Strangulation Protocols.
Task Force uses an interactive strangulation training video to train the 26 law enforcement agencies on the new Strangulation Protocols.
Task force continues to train law enforcement. The work of the Task Force is also presented at the American Public Health Association annual conference.
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