series.
Description: St. Louis, MO : STM Learning, Inc., [2020] | Series: Forensic learning series | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020004507 (print) | LCCN 2020004508 (ebook) | ISBN 9781936590834 (paperback) | ISBN 9781936590841 (epub)
Subjects: MESH: Domestic Violence | Asphyxia--diagnosis | Asphyxia--pathology | Forensic Medicine | Problems and Exercises | Case Reports
Classification: LCC RA1071 (print) | LCC RA1071 (ebook) | NLM W 618.2 | DDC 617.1/8--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020004507
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020004508
CONTRIBUTORS
Kathryn L. Bell, MS, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DF-AFN
Forensic Nursing Administrator
Tulsa Police Department
Lynn Crosby, BSN, RN, SANE
liveSAFE Resources
Christine Foote-Lucero, MSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A, SANE-P
Forensic Program Manager
University of Colorado Hospital
Karen Marcus, RN, BS, SANE-A
Forensic Nurse
Forensic Health Services
Palomar Health
Sarah Marin, FNP-C, MSN, SANE-A, SANE-P
Forensic Nurse Practitioner
SART/Child Abuse
Forensic Nurses of SoCal, Inc.
Keri Sandy, RN, SANE-A
Forensic RN
Palomar Health Forensic Services
Angelia Trujillo, DNP, MS, RN, WHNP-BC, DF-AFN
Associate Professor of Nursing
University of Alaska Anchorage
FOREWORD
As a forensic nurse with more than 17 years of experience working with victims of violence across the lifespan, I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to write the foreword to Domestic Violence and Nonfatal Strangulation Assessment for Health Care Providers and First Responders, part of the Forensic Learning Series. I have had the opportunity to work with the editors and many of the contributors to this text over the years, and I consider them colleagues and mentors working to improve the response to victims of violence.
The Manual Nonfatal Strangulation Assessment was published January 2017 as a part of STM Learning’s Forensic Learning Series because the editors realized the need for training related to nonfatal strangulation assessment and care. Now, 3 years later, the editors and contributors to this text have updated the training manual for nonfatal strangulation to encompass domestic violence, male victim strangulation, and cases among the young and the old. There are a wide range of specialties that need a working knowledge of domestic violence and strangulation, including, but not limited to, nursing, medicine, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and legal system agencies. This text is designed to serve as:
—A companion resource to the other titles in the Forensic Learning Series
—An educational resource for forensic nurses seeking to prepare for specialty certification
—A valuable resource for the generalist
—An adjunct resource for nonmedical team disciplines
—An interdisciplinary text recognizing the common knowledge and unique skills of the multidisciplinary team
The editors and contributors bring decades of combined experience to the issue of strangulation assault, its impact on the human body, and the emotional impact to the victim whether they are male or female, young or old. The text relies on the use of standardized language, case studies, and case photographs to support the learning needs of health care providers responding to victims of domestic violence and strangulation. Unique case histories represent the myriad types of violence that impact men and women across the lifespan and the role that strangulation plays in the power and control sought by perpetrators of interpersonal violence. Chapters provide anatomic resources and activities for learning, and they demonstrate best practices for evidence collection, injury care, treatment, and follow-up examination options to serve victims of violence from the initial first responder to physicians/providers, hospitalists, and forensic examiners.
Recognition of strangulation injury and its sequelae has come a long way from a few short years ago when strangulation was considered “just choking,” to today, when nonfatal manual strangulation is now recognized as a felony and life-threatening crime. These changes were due much in part to the work of the editors and contributors herein. It is my expectation that this book will provide an effective educational and reference tool for health professionals caring for victims of strangulation.
Angelia Trujillo, DNP, MS, RN, WHNP-BC, DF-AFN
Associate Professor of Nursing
University of Alaska Anchorage
FOREWORD
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
— Benjamin Franklin
It took the murders of 2 San Diego teenagers in 1995 to understand the seriousness and lethality of nonfatal strangulation. Before Casondra Steward and Tamara Smith were killed by their ex-partners, they were “choked.” Both of them called the police for help, but neither case was prosecuted because of a lack of sufficient evidence to prove an assault had occurred. As former prosecutors, we should have known more and done more. Back then, we called them “choking” cases, and most choking cases were handled as misdemeanors or simply not prosecuted at all. It was the rare case where strangulation was charged and prosecuted as a felony. We were trained to look for external signs of injury, and many prosecutors believed you needed a cooperative victim to prove a choking case, including testifying about her injuries. But choking victims often said they were fine and rarely requested paramedics or sought medical attention. They often would not remember the details of the assault. This seemed like it made the case even weaker. The usually said they were “fine” or “okay,” and it caused us to think they were fine too. But we were wrong.
The deaths of Casondra and Tamara triggered profound changes in San Diego. After their deaths,
