The Science Behind Abuse

Research on domestic violence includes decades of collected data that offer more than just statistics about abuse. Included in this collective information are the documented motivations of abusers, knowledge about the dynamics of intimate partner violence, and so much more. We investigate this compendium of information through the lens of a personal story revealing what could have been done to prevent a triple homicide if investigators and others had consulted the related research. Margaret Bassett, LPC-S, Director Applied Research & Innovative Instruction, at the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA), The University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work joins the show to talk about this research, the “science” as she calls it, and how it can inform and influence our approaches to investigating allegations of abuse, increase abuser accountability, attain better outcomes for victims and improve prosecution rates of these offenders. Bassett walks us through the experience of the Broderick family - a family torn apart by child sexual abuse and homicide allegedly at the hands of Stephen Broderick. The Broderick family’s story along with Bassett’s op-ed, “To Stop Domestic Violence, We Need to Listen to Science About Abusers,” are the backdrop for our conversation and offer context for abuser behavior, pitfalls to preventing domestic violence and the need for a coordinated community response to domestic violence. This episode discusses child abuse, homicide, strangulation, and domestic violence.