Why protecting Colorado children from dying of domestic violence is such a hard problem – The Conversation

Report on Domestic Violence Fatalities and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Public Health and Justice Crisis

A 2024 report from Colorado indicates a record number of child fatalities resulting from domestic violence, a trend that starkly contrasts with a statewide reduction in overall homicide. This issue represents a significant challenge to achieving several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The persistence of domestic violence homicide, with over one-third of female homicides perpetrated by intimate partners and a national increase in child deaths over two decades, underscores a critical failure in public safety and institutional response.

Challenges in Measurement and Institutional Accountability (SDG 16)

Effective policy and prevention are contingent on accurate data, yet the measurement of domestic violence is fraught with difficulties that undermine the objectives of SDG 16, which calls for effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.

Data Collection and Reporting Deficiencies

• Incomplete National Datasets: Large-scale datasets such as the Uniform Crime Reporting Program are often incomplete or feature inconsistent reporting, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the problem.
• Underreporting by Victims: A majority of victims do not engage with law enforcement or medical services due to fear of disbelief, reprisal from the abuser, or involvement of the child welfare system. This lack of reporting means institutional data fails to capture the full scope of the violence.
• Lack of Prior Records: Consequently, half of the perpetrators of domestic violence fatalities in Colorado in 2024 had no prior domestic violence-related arrest, making risk assessment and prevention by justice systems exceedingly difficult.

Scope of Violence and Impact on Child Welfare (SDG 16.2)

The definition and tracking of domestic violence often fail to account for its full impact, particularly on children, directly impeding progress on SDG Target 16.2, which aims to end all forms of violence against children.

1. Collateral Victims: Domestic violence extends beyond intimate partners to affect children, siblings, and other bystanders who become collateral victims.
2. Definitional Inconsistencies: States lack a uniform definition of a domestic violence fatality. While Colorado includes abuser suicides, inconsistent standards make national-level analysis and policy-making challenging.
3. Child Abuse Overlap: Child deaths are often categorized separately from domestic violence unless directly traced to intimate partner conflict, causing many children to be lost in official counts and obscuring the link between partner violence and child safety.

Analysis of Policy and Justice System Responses

Current legal and policy frameworks have demonstrated limited effectiveness in preventing domestic violence fatalities, highlighting gaps in achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Access to Justice).

Systemic Gaps in the Justice Process

Judicial processes, such as pretrial detention decisions in Colorado, rely on scoring rubrics that prioritize prior convictions. This system fails to account for protection orders or non-conviction charges, creating a paradox where abusers with long histories of unprosecuted violence are not identified as high-risk. This procedural gap undermines the principle of accessible justice for victims.

Legislative Interventions and Their Consequences

• Federal Legislation: The 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act addressed the “boyfriend loophole,” a positive step towards SDG 5 by restricting firearm access for dating partners convicted of domestic violence.
• State-Level Policies: Mandatory arrest and no-drop policies have been implemented to strengthen institutional responses. However, these measures have shown limited effectiveness and can lead to negative outcomes, such as the retaliatory arrest of victims, which threatens their child custody and economic stability, thereby increasing their vulnerability.

The Critical Role of Community-Based Services for Sustainable Development

Recognizing the limitations of the criminal-legal system, achieving the SDGs requires robust, community-based solutions that promote health, equality, and safe communities (SDG 3, SDG 10, SDG 11).

Essential Support Systems for Survivors

Community-based services are fundamental to survivor safety and well-being. These programs provide critical resources that empower survivors to escape violent situations.

1. Emergency Housing: Shelters provide immediate safety, aligning with SDG 11’s goal of access to safe and affordable housing.
2. Counseling and Assistance: Mental health support and cash assistance help survivors overcome trauma and economic precarity, contributing to SDG 3 (Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Barriers to Effective Community Support

The availability and efficacy of these vital services are under threat.

• Funding Deficits: Recent federal funding cuts jeopardize the operations of many domestic violence programs.
• Resource Scarcity: A lack of available housing and services, even where programs exist, limits the ability of providers to effectively support survivors and their children.

Conclusion: A Call for Data-Driven, Integrated Policy

The failure to effectively measure, prevent, and respond to domestic violence is a matter of life and death that directly obstructs progress on core Sustainable Development Goals. A one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient. Advancing the 2030 Agenda requires tailored, local policy solutions grounded in improved data collection and better-resourced, community-based support systems that address the multifaceted needs of survivors.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The article directly addresses violence against women, a key component of SDG 5. It highlights the persistent issue of domestic violence homicide, stating that “more than one-third of homicides of women are still perpetrated by intimate partners.” This focus on violence predominantly affecting women by their partners connects the article’s core theme to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

This goal is central to the article, which extensively discusses violence, justice systems, and policy-making. The text focuses on reducing violence-related deaths, particularly those of children, and examines the failures and challenges within the legal system. It mentions issues with data collection (“incomplete or have inconsistent reporting”), pretrial detention policies, mandatory arrest laws, and the overall struggle to create effective public safety policies to prevent domestic violence, all of which are core components of building peaceful, just, and strong institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

   The article’s entire focus is on domestic violence, a primary form of violence against women in the private sphere. It discusses the high rates of homicide of women by intimate partners and the systemic challenges in preventing these deaths. The mention of government spending on hotlines, shelters, and prevention programs, alongside the failure to reduce these homicides, directly relates to the effort and struggle to achieve this target.

2. SDG Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

   This target is explicitly addressed through the article’s discussion of homicide rates. The text opens by stating that a “record number of Colorado children died in 2024 as a result of domestic violence, despite a statewide reduction in overall homicide.” This highlights a specific type of violence that resists general crime reduction efforts, making it a critical area of focus for achieving this target. The article also discusses “collateral victims,” expanding the scope of violence beyond the immediate partners.

3. SDG Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

   The article places a strong emphasis on the impact of domestic violence on children. It notes a “steady increase nationally in domestic violence-related deaths of children over the past 20 years” and the specific tragedy in Colorado where eight children died. The discussion about the boundary between domestic violence and child abuse, and how children can get “lost in the count,” further underscores the relevance of this target.

4. SDG Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

   The article critically examines the justice system’s response to domestic violence. It points out flaws in legal mechanisms, such as Colorado’s pretrial detention rubric, which “does not include information about domestic violence protection orders or prior charges that did not result in conviction.” It also discusses the limited effectiveness and unintended consequences of policies like mandatory arrest and no-drop orders, highlighting the challenge of ensuring the justice system provides effective protection and access to justice for victims.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 5.2 and 16.1 (Violence against women and homicide rates):

  The article provides direct quantitative data that can serve as indicators.

  • Homicide rates by intimate partners: The statistic that “more than one-third of homicides of women are still perpetrated by intimate partners” is a direct indicator of intimate partner violence leading to death.
  • Number of domestic violence fatalities: The article’s focus on the specific number of child deaths (“eight children who died”) in Colorado serves as a local indicator for violence-related death rates.
  • Underreporting of violence: The statement that the “vast majority of victims of domestic abuse do not contact law enforcement” is an implied indicator of the hidden prevalence of violence, which is crucial for understanding the full scope of the problem.

• For Target 16.2 (Violence against children):

  The article provides indicators related to child fatalities.

  • Child death rates from domestic violence: The mention of a “steady increase nationally in domestic violence-related deaths of children” and the “record number” in Colorado are direct indicators for measuring violence against children.

• For Target 16.3 (Access to justice):

  The article implies several indicators related to the justice system’s effectiveness.

  • Prior conviction rates of perpetrators: The fact that “half of the perpetrators of domestic violence fatalities in Colorado in 2024 did not have a prior domestic violence-related arrest” and “Only one-fifth had been previously convicted” serves as an indicator of the justice system’s inability to identify and intervene with high-risk offenders before a fatality occurs.
  • Effectiveness of legal interventions: The article discusses how five of the child deaths occurred during “active custody disputes,” implying a failure of the legal system to protect vulnerable individuals during intervention, which can be used as a qualitative indicator of the system’s effectiveness.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theconversation.com