Insights from NJ GVRC Summit:  Domestic + Family Violence Prevention
By Jennifer Paruk

This fall we hosted our annual NJ GVRC Summit in East Brunswick – bringing together researchers, community leaders, policymakers, and practitioners from the tri-state area and beyond. Our goal for the day was to learn about recent work in the firearm violence prevention field and provide a space for open dialogue and connection. Four keynote speakers presented on different topics across the firearm injury field:

•  Craig Bryan, “Military and Veteran Firearm Suicide Prevention"
• Kerri Raissian, "The Limits of Passing Policy"
• Brooklynn Hitchens, "Unpacking the Triggers: The Evolving Roles of Street-Identified Black Women and Girls in Urban Gun Violence"
• Mike Sodini, "At the Intersection of Guns and Mental Health

We held breakout sessions where attendees shared their work and discussed what challenges and opportunities they see moving forward. Breakout sessions addressed suicide prevention, community violence, current political divides, and domestic and family violence prevention.

The NJ GVRC Summit offered an opportunity to come together across our work in the firearm violence prevention space. The day highlighted the impact of the support we have in New Jersey and how we will keep the momentum towards community well-being and safety going.

The Domestic and Family Violence Prevention session explored challenges and solutions in preventing domestic and family firearm violence.

Key Challenges:
Law Enforcement Gaps: Our breakout room noted that there are several challenges with law enforcement responses, including officers being unaware of firearms present in homes during domestic violence calls, failures to serve restraining orders, and not confiscating firearms. Victim-survivors may hesitate to call police due to fears that firearm removal could trigger violent retaliation from their family members or partners.

Program and Support Limitations: Our group discussed barriers preventing families from accessing help. Although a variety of programs exist, insufficient funding and low public awareness of available services can often limit their effectiveness. Bureaucratic red tape can create delays in getting families the assistance they need. Mental health and support programs often face overwhelming caseloads, while families requiring help to safely leave violent situations need far more comprehensive support than currently exists. The group highlighted that there is no single solution that works for all families—each requires tailored support based on their unique circumstances.

Proposed Strategies:
Awareness and Education: Together, we discussed increasing education of domestic and family violence across multiple audiences, including the general public, service providers, emergency medical services, and law enforcement. This education can focus on warning signs (particularly nonfatal strangulation for partner violence), available programs and supports, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

Enhanced Response Models: Deploying more mental health professionals to accompany police on calls and streamlining bureaucratic processes could expedite family access to support services. 

Data and Collaboration: Improving data sharing among agencies to better coordinate support services and actively involving victim-survivors in developing these support services can increase coordination all around. 

Expanded Intervention Points: There are multiple avenues to reach people experiencing violence. Our group discussed creating multiple access points for families to receive help, including follow-up outreach after violent incidents (recognizing victim-survivors may not feel safe disclosing at the time of the incident), school-based interventions to reach children in violent homes, and partnerships with Community Violence Intervention (CVI) groups to identify additional opportunities for early intervention.

Get in touch with the NJ GVRC at our website or reach out to njgvrc@sph.rutgers.edu