1. New York City Family Justice
Center, Queens
Queens Library
December 11, 2012
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Commissioner Yolanda B. Jimenez
District Attorney Richard Brown

2. A frequent question is “What is
Domestic Violence?”
 DV is a pattern of power and control. It is not just about hitting.
 It usually begins with put-downs, and often includes:
 Depriving a person from contact with friends and family (with
different excuses as to why they need to be away from the people
who care for her)….
 Frequent calls and demands to know where they are each minute of
the day
 Telling the partner they don’t know how to care for their children or
they don’t know how to care for themselves
 Extreme jealousy and accusations
 It will often escalate to physical aggression and brutality
 Domestic violence can occur between intimate partners, siblings, or can
occur between a caretaker and a vulnerable elderly or disabled

3. Defining the Problem
 Victims/Survivors
 Spouse or Ex-spouse
 Currently living together or previously
lived together
 Boyfriend/Girlfriend or Ex-boyfriend/Ex-
girlfriend
 Children in common
 LGBTQ relationships

4. Who are victims of domestic
violence?
Every race, religion, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, gender, socio-
economic status, etc.

5. Victims often unaware of effects of
DV to child witnesses
 The effects of witnessing repeat
violence can be far ranging and
include: depression, anxiety, low
self-esteem, insecurity, aggression
toward others, physical ailments
 Children see signs, hear sounds, are
more aware than parents think
 Children may feel responsible

6. The importance of safety planning
 Most DV homicides occur when the victim attempts
to separate from the abuser
 Safety plans should be tailored according to each
individual’s circumstance
 QFJC clients receive safety planning, which may
include:
 Copying and storing important documents
 Using a code with a trusted friend when abuse is
escalating
 Teaching children to be familiar with address and
emergency numbers
 Knowing how NYPD can help her remove her
items from the home safely

7. Impact on Victim
 Minimizing abuse
 Love for partner and hope s/he will change
 Sense that a nurturing relationship is not
possible
 Fear of worse harm
 Traditional beliefs about marriage and
parenting
 Fear of ACS involvement/children being
removed

8. Impact on Victim
 Economic Dependence
 Victim (and children) financially dependent on
batterer
 Victim does not have resources to go
elsewhere independently/fear of disruption in
life in moving to shelter/concerns about living
in shelter
 Criminal Justice System
 Victim fears police or not being believed
 Victim does not understand criminal court
process

9. Additional Barriers
 No Immigration Status
 Non-English speaking
 Elderly
 Teens (fear upsetting parents)
 LGBTQ (being “outted”)
 Male victims
 Disabled victims

10. Civil Service Model
 Who is the expert?
 Client is the expert on her/his
experience
 Practitioners are experts on general
information and available resources
 Client’s self-determination is respected
 She should not feel someone else is trying
to control her
 She should feel she will be accepted and
respected if/when she is ready to make
changes

11. If you know someone who is a victim of
DV or intimidation by a partner
 Don’t judge
 Let her know that help is available
 Offer to help when she is ready
 Let her know that the threat to her
safety may increase when she
attempts to leave
 It’s important for her to plan and
prepare carefully

12. Domestic Violence Statistics
 In 2011, over 700 domestic incidents were
reported to the police daily
 Hotline: In 2011, an average of 310 calls were
made to the City’s domestic violence hotline daily
 Citywide: over 700 domestic violence reports are
filed daily
 Nationally: Between 25% and 37% of women
will be assaulted by an intimate partner in their
lifetime
 In 2011 there were 92 homicides in NYC; in
nearly 70% of cases the victim had no prior
contact with police

13. New York City Family Justice Center,
Queens (QFJC)
 The QFJC is an initiative of the Mayor’s Office to
Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV) in partnership
with the Queens County District Attorney’s office,
and 20 city agency and non-profit service providers
 In NYC, there are currently three FJC’s that are all
operated by OCDV: Brooklyn (2005), Queens
(2008), and Bronx (2010)
 Collectively, the NYC Family Justice Centers have
served over 80,000 victims of domestic violence
 The QFJC has had over 44,000 client visits and over
3,400 children have visited Margaret’s Place, our
children’s activity room

14. Services Provided
 The FJCs are walk-in centers open Mon-
Fri, 9-5, where domestic violence victims
can choose the services they want,
including:
 Adult and children’s counseling
 Housing and public benefits assistance
 Family court, matrimonial and immigration
legal assistance
 Meeting with law enforcement/prosecution
 Self-sufficiency workshops and counseling

15. Client Concerns
Privacy:
 Victim’s identity, status as a DV victim and
immigration status may not be revealed without
express written consent-- Protected under the
Mayor’s Executive Order 41
 Information is not shared with law
enforcement, unless the client chooses to do so
herself
 Information is not shared with outside
government agencies or entered in any publicly
accessible database

16. NYC’s Executive Order 41
Protects Immigrants
 Under New York City’s Executive Order 41 all
victims of crimes in New York City, including
domestic violence, can call the police for
protection. New York City police officers do not
report the immigration status of crime victims or
crime witnesses to federal immigration
authorities
 Requires City employees to protect the
confidentiality of information about a person’s
sexual orientation, status as a victim of domestic
violence, status as a crime witness, receipt of
public assistance, and information in income tax
records
16

17. Immigration Remedies
 VAWA self-petitions
 Battered spouse and battered child
waivers
 VAWA cancellation
 U visa
 T visa
 Asylum
 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

18. Language Resources
 Language Line live interpretation
service in 150 languages
 Service providers speak 20
languages
 FJC brochures available in 8
languages: English, Spanish, Arabic,
Chinese, Korean, Creole, Russian, &
Bengali online at
www.nyc.gov/domesticviolence

19. Services Not Provided
 Supervised visitation
 Couples counseling or mediation
 Batterers Intervention Programs

20. Contact information
New York City Family Justice Center, Queens
126-02 82nd Avenue
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Office: (718) 575-4500
Safe Horizon Hotline: Safe Horizon DV Hotline – 1-800-621-HOPE
(4673)
New York City's main source of government information and non-
emergency services – 311
• Safe Horizon DV Hotline – 1-800-621-HOPE (4673)