Opinion: Train police for the realities of domestic violence For many survivors of domestic violence, the most dangerous moment is not the assault itself but the attempt to leave. Police are often the first — and sometimes only — point of contact during that critical window. Yet officers are still asked to manage these encounters with training that does not reflect the reality they face. |
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For many survivors of domestic violence, the most dangerous moment is not the assault itself but the attempt to leave. Police are often the first — and sometimes only — point of contact during that critical window. Yet officers are still asked to manage these encounters with training that does not reflect the reality they face.
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Consider a survivor who escapes years of coercive control and near-fatal violence, only to be told while recovering in a hospital that there is not enough evidence to charge the abuser. The survivor is traumatized, medicated, frightened, and unable to recount events in a calm or linear way. To an untrained observer, this may appear unreliable. In truth, it is a common and well-documented trauma response.
This disconnect exposes a serious flaw in how police are educated.
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Domestic-violence calls, mental-health crises, and other high-risk encounters rarely unfold in orderly or predictable ways. Victims may appear contradictory, emotionally volatile, withdrawn, or even protective of the person harming them. Trauma disrupts memory, behaviour, and communication — realities that cannot be fully understood through policy manuals or classroom instruction alone.
They must be experienced.
Today’s police officers are........