Police officers are frequently the first responders to situations that pose threats to the safety and well-being of children. Whether it’s a call about domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or homicide, the police are in an important position to identify and initiate the process of recovery for children and families traumatized by violence.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Yale Child Study Center have compiled resources and tools necessary to equip and train law enforcement agencies across the nation to identify and respond to these violent events, including death notifications.
Police officers need to understand and recognize the acute signs of traumatic distress often associated with events that require intervention, as well learn the various law enforcement strategies that allow children and families to heal, recover, and re-establish a sense of security and stability.
When children are not quickly identified and supported in recovery following exposure to violence, they are at greater risk for a number of factors including school failure, mental health and substance abuse disorders, involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and perpetration of community violence — along with a number of other risk factors.
A Toolkit for Law Enforcement
The IACP and Yale have launched a toolkit (linked below) for law enforcement leaders and frontline officers that provides practical tools and resources to assist law enforcement agencies in building or enhancing effective operational responses to children exposed to violence. The toolkit includes an organizational self-assessment and action-planning tool, along with recommended operational protocols and tools to integrate into an agency’s existing practices and approaches.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Children Exposed to Violence: A Toolkit for Law Enforcement
Free Online Training
The New Haven Connecticut Department of Police Service has been instrumental in the development of some online training in this area. They lent their professional expertise to ensuring that case scenarios were realistic and consistent with law enforcement practices, and that they represent a range of possible differences in police attitudes and level of engagement.
The IACP, in partnership with the Childhood Violent Trauma Center at the Yale Child Study Center, and the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, has launched this online training series to help prepare frontline officers to identify and respond to children exposed to violence.
The online training series will enable officers to identify and interact with children of all ages who have been exposed to violent and potentially traumatic events using both developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed approaches.
This five-module interactive course combines a number of learning styles and incorporates scenarios for participants to test new knowledge and practice new skills. This course has been certified by IADLEST as part of the National Certification Program for continuing education credits in more than 35 states and has been submitted to the MN Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for consideration of approval.
I recently completed this training, and the course is offered at no cost to law enforcement and their multidisciplinary partners. It may also be beneficial for mental health practitioners and co-responders working with law enforcement.
Register here: http://elearning-courses.net/iacp/html/index.cfm
You may contact me via email at tstille@lmc.org with any questions or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051.
Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety
Up next: Rob's Retirement
In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -
Tracy
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