Addressing Animal Abuse and Its Relationship to Interpersonal Violence

In 2015, the Humane Society of the United States estimated that nearly one million animals a year are abused or killed in episodes of domestic violence. They also found that intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people. This webinar introduces professionals to simple yet effective screening methods for how animal abuse and neglect may play a role with the individuals they are working with, along with a discussion about managing the emotional effects of this difficult content. 

School Shootings: What We Know About Attacks on Campuses

The frequency of school shootings has increased in recent years, capturing the attention of parents, clinicians, and policymakers. As a result, communities and stakeholders are desperately looking for ways to identify and provide preventive assistance to high-risk youth before tragedy strikes. While our understanding of school shootings is still growing, research has identified some relevant patterns and risk markers that make professionals uniquely positioned to engage in prevention efforts. After presenting key research insights, Dr. Rodrigues will focus on youths at risk for school shootings and ways to navigate high-risk situations safely and ethically. Attendees will be provided critical details about those who perpetrate school shootings from the existing research, and potential safeguards communities can implement.

Applying a Neuroscience and Psychosocial Development Framework to Testifying in Juvenile Cases

In this webinar, Tom Leversee presents a framework for expert witnesses that focuses on brain science, developmental age/crime trajectories, and psychosocial maturity and desistance.    

Mental health professionals in the juvenile justice system frequently serve as expert witnesses in court cases in which juveniles face the possibility of being prosecuted as adults.

Intimate Partner Violence: Identifying and Monitoring Coercive Controlling Behaviors

Intimate partner violence is already a complicated form of interpersonal violence. Problems range from the cycle of abuse to the confusing loyalty exhibited by abused partners. These problems are further complicated by the fact that controlling behaviors of the perpetrating partner often go undetected by others and may be normalized by the abused partner.