According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another .” Domestic violence is present in every community across America. It shows no favoritism or bias. It can happen anywhere. It cuts across all ethnic groups, economic classes, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and genders.

A Shocking Reality

Victims suffer from psychological trauma, physical abuse, and even death. What starts as emotional abuse often escalates physical violence.

…includes behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish; …includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse …different forms of domestic violence/abuse can be occurring at any one time within the same intimate relationship.

• Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. More than 10 million a year *
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner *
• 1 in 7 women has been stalked. Stalking causes the target to fear they or someone close to them will be harmed or killed *

The impact extends beyond the targeted individual and affects the entire family. Even those who are just witnesses are severely impacted, especially children. This manifests as fear, anxiety, depression; self-abuse, hostility, and suicide. The damage can last a lifetime.*

Protection orders alone may not be enough to prevent an offender from re-assaulting a targeted individual.  All too often the offender returns to attack again. Being charged with a crime doesn’t stop them. The fact is, victims can be at risk at any time and place.

The following independent agencies advocate on behalf of victims, work for societal change, and can offer immediate help.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a not for profit organization dedicated to supporting survivors, holding offenders accountable and supporting advocates. To get information or guidance for yourself or someone else they can be reached at  1-800-799-7233 or  https://ncadv.org/get-help.

National Domestic Violence Hotline provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to empower victims and survivors to find safety and live free of abuse; provide support to friends and family members who are concerned about a loved one. https://www.thehotline.org/help   1−800−799−7233

This information is offered as a public service for anyone seeking additional guidance on this matter. Sentinel does not offer an opinion and neither agrees or disagrees with specific positions of these organizations.  

victims can be at risk at any time and place.

Real-world tools to help in the fight

A Monitoring Program for Victims

Keeping the victim away from their attacker is an important step. When the violence stops, recovery can begin. We are proud that Sentinel Offender Services offers help to combat the problem. The Domestic Violence Monitoring program delivers the highest level of electronic monitoring that we offer and can have the greatest positive impact. In cooperation and coordination with local law enforcement agencies across the US thousands of victims and their attackers have been monitored through this program.

Victims sleep easier at night when they are in the program. They know that they will be alerted if the attacker gets too close. The program combines the services of our industry-leading National Monitoring Center with proven electronic monitoring technology and provides:

• Simultaneous location tracking that compares the location of offenders and victims
• Advanced notification to victims if a would-be assailant breaches an exclusion zone
• Up-to-the-minute information to law enforcement to take appropriate action
• 24 hour a day location monitoring that gives victims extra peace of mind in their daily lives

Participation in the program for the victim is entirely voluntary and is available with multiple levels of coverage.

Specific locations, such as the victim’s home or work, are identified as stationary exclusion zones and monitored 24 hour-a-day. Mobile Exclusion Zones are established to follow the victim as they travel throughout the community. When carrying a small GPS device, the area surrounding the victim -from hundreds of feet to tens of miles- is monitored 24 hours a day.

Should the offender breach any exclusion zone, specially trained operators in Sentinel’s 24/7 National Monitoring Center calmly notify the victim and law enforcement. They can then execute an appropriate safety plan. Law enforcement officials can take action. In every level of the program the victim is given advance notification of potential contact with the offender.

Programs for the Offender

When the offender stops offending, everyone wins. Sentinel delivers cognitive skills training  to help in this effort. Courses address the root causes of violence and provide tools to make better decisions. According to leading psychologists and criminologists, addressing the root causes of violence can help avoid it in the first place. Topics that are covered include:

• Anger Management
• Parenting and Family Values
• Substance Abuse
• Making Changes for Good

The courses work on cognitive restructuring. The offender develops self-awareness, self-control, and positive relationship management skills.

For information on Domestic Violence Monitoring Program or any community-based cognitive skills program:

Complete this information request, send an email to sales@sentineladvantage.com, or call 800.589.6003, option 8 / 949.453.1550, option 8.

* “WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?”,  National Coalition Against Domestic Violence