RESEARCHREVIEW

CURRENT RESEARCH FOR FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS • VOL. 1, NO. 2 SUMMER 2023

RECANTATION OF ADULT DOMESTIC ABUSE:WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE ARMY FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM
Domestic abuse (DA) between adult intimate partners
is of great concern to the Army as it affects readiness andfamily well-being. Incidents can be reported in a varietyof ways, but when they are credible the Army Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is the primary point of contact forfollow-on actions including, but not limited to, confirming the credibility of the report, pursuing adjudication,and offering treatment to victims and perpetrators.
After a DA incident has been reported to the FAP, theadult victim may decide to deny their initial report orrefuse to participate in further proceedings. This is called
recantation.
The purpose of this edition of Research Review is topresent issues surrounding the importance of adult recantation in the context of the Army FAP. When an incident
is recanted, many other Army organizations in addition
to the FAP can become involved: military command,legal and law enforcement authorities, clinical treatmentpersonnel and the family of the victim.

HOW RECANTATION MAY PRESENT• Denial that the incident occurred.
• Refusal to respond to questions about the incident.
• Refusal to file an affidavit (a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence incourt).
• Refusal to participate in investigation or official Armylegal procedures.
• Leaving the area to avoid further involvement with theauthorities or the abuser.
• Refusal to participate in educational programs orclinical treatment for the effects of abuse.

RISK ASSOCIATED WITH MAKING A REPORT
OF DOMESTIC ABUSE

Victims who come forward with a complaint of a DA
incident face many risks. As a result, they may believe thatrecantation will avoid repercussions from the abuser andfrom the FAP and other Army authorities. However, therecantation may not end the incident for the victim or
the abuser as other elements of the Army in addition toFAP become involved when an initial allegation is made.
Among these are:
• The military commander of the alleged abuser and/orvictim (if the victim is on active duty)• Military legal authorities which may evaluate adjudication responsibilities• Law enforcement authorities such as the military andcivilian police and the Army Criminal Investigation
Command (CID) which may conduct investigations• Support providers (e.g., victim advocates, FAP educational support personnel, Army Community Services)• Clinical treatment personnel

WHY DO VICTIMS RECANT?

A victim’s decision to recant can be complex and is often driven by both personal social circumstances. Principal
motivations are tied to fears associated with leaving theabuser, including the impact of such a decision on personal/family survival and personal safety. Other factors that
motivate a victim to recant include a lack of understandingof the role of the FAP, an unwillingness to participate orfear of the Army legal system, considerations for the victim’s social status, and the victim’s emotional dependence
on the abuser. Each of these is considered here.

SURVIVAL AND SAFETY• Survival: need to stay alive and be there for his/herfamily• Fear of retaliation from the abuser to victim, family
members, other persons, or pets
• Fear of loss of livelihood if abuser is prosecuted andseparated from the Army
• Fear of loss of child custody• Financial pressures, especially if she/he leaves therelationship• Lack of knowledge of sources of support and safety• Limitations due to disability• Being elderly

EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCE ON THE
ABUSER• Belief that the abuse will stop if she/he recants• Religious and cultural beliefs about maintaining arelationship• Belief that the abuser’s behavior is caused by stress,
alcohol, problems at work, unemployment, or otherfactors

VICTIM’S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAP AND
ARMY LEGAL SYSTEM••••

Lack of understanding of the role of the FAP
Fear that she/he will not be believed by the authorities
Lack of support from police
Unwillingness to participate in the legal requirements
if the report is continued

For over 20 years, the Center’s Family Violence
and Trauma Project has published thenewsletters Joining Forces Joining Families(JFJF) and Research Review: Family Violence(RR) on child maltreatment and domestic
violence. The publications provide criticalinformation to professionals working in family
services, primary care, and mental healthas well as those in positions of community
leadership or policy development. Pleasevisit https://www.cstsonline.org/resources/newsletters/ for links to these newsletters, andshare this information with your colleagues.

2 • RESEARCH REVIEW• Lack of confidence in the law to prevent further violence through protective orders• Believing that the legal system could not help

VICTIM’S SOCIAL STATUS• Victim does not want the personal exposure thatwould result from incident being brought into theopen• Lack of support and isolation from family and friends• Being blamed for failure of the relationship• Shame, embarrassment, and guilt

OTHER FACTORS INVOLVED IN
RECANTATION DECISIONS•••••

Culture and race
Substance abuse of victim or abuser
Rural location
Religious beliefs
Other factors of an individual nature

POSSIBLE LEGAL PROCEDURESFOLLOWING A REPORT OF DA TO THE FAP

Legal authorities, either military or civilian, maychoose to pursue prosecution or some form of militarynonjudicial actions against the abuser regardless ofrecantation if certain conditions are met. Among theseare where the event occurred (on- or off-post), whether
the report is restricted or unrestricted, the strength of theRESEARCH REVIEW
EditorTasanee R. Walsh, PhD, MPH, MSW
Senior Scientist
Department of Psychiatry, USU
e-mail to tasanee.walsh.ctr@usuhs.edu
Research Review is a publication of the CSTS Family Violenceand Trauma Project and and the Army Deputy Chief of Staff,
G-9, Family Advocacy Program, Washington, DC
Editorial Consultants
Stephen J. Cozza, MD, COL, U.S. Army Retired
Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, USU
James E. McCarroll, PhD, MPH, COL, US. Army Retired
Research Professor, Department of Psychiatry, USU

Summer 2023

evidence of the abuse incident through witness statements, medical evidence, social media posts, military
police reports, calls to 911, and command involvementin favor of prosecution to show that the incident is being
taken seriously and that there are consequences for theabuser.

MILITARY LEGAL CONTEXT OFRECANTATIONThe Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
addresses domestic violence in many subsections beginning with the definition of domestic violence in section§928b Article 128b. This definition includes committing
a violent offense and threatening with intent to harm
the victim. In addition, an abuser can be charged with avariety of other offenses including failure to obey an order(such as a protective order), damaging property, rape,and maiming. In addition to these specific charges, abusecan be prosecuted under a general article that includes
discharging a firearm, drunk and disorderly content, andother misbehaviors.
If there is evidence that the abuser has committed anyof these acts, prosecution can proceed without the victim’sparticipation. If prosecution is pursued, the victim is once
again victimized by the Army by losing control of thesituation: he/she has become only a witness.
The decision to seek legal assistance can be empowering to the victim. Victims have access to free legal assistance including a confidential place in which to discuss
personal issues such as divorce or child custody. The
Army legal system also has special victim counselors who
can work with the prosecution and provide support to thevictim should the process of prosecution go forward. The
legal system is usually guided by what the victim wants todo. If the recantation is successful, the victim’s knowledgeof the legal system is a resource that the victim can keep
in mind in case of future need for services as a result of a
new incident of DA or child abuse.

WHAT CAN FAP WORKERS DO WHEN A
VICTIM RECANTS• Familiarize a victim with the Army FAP processes andresources• Acquaint victims with FAP reporting options• Familiarize the victim with the Army legal system incases of DA• Counsel the victim on risks faced whether recantationoccurs or does not occur

http://www.CSTSonline.org• Assist with safety planning considering known andunknown risk factors• Provide referrals to clinical treatment for harms incurred from past violence and current incident• Acquaint victims with avenues of support in the military and civilian communities• Provide offers of counseling and clinical treatment tothe abuser

REFERENCES

DoD Instruction 6400.06. DoD Coordinated Community
Response to Domestic Abuse Involving DoD Military andCertain Affiliated Personnel
National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.google.
com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=50-obstacles-to-lea
ving.+National+Domestic+Violence+Hotline&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8).
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
https://ncadv.org/

ADDITIONAL READING

Bonomi, A. E., Gangamma, R., Locke, C. R., Katafiasz, H.,& Martin, D. (2011). “Meet me at the hill where we used
to park”: interpersonal processes associated with victim
recantation. Soc Sci Med, 73(7), 1054-1061. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.07.005
Cravens, J. D., Whiting, J. B., & Aamar, R. O. (2015). Why
I stayed/left: An analysis of voices of intimate partner
violence on social media. Contemporary Family Therapy,37(4), 372-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-015-93608
DeCarlo, A. (2016). No drop prosecution & domestic violence: Screening for cooperation in the city that neversleeps. J Law and Policy, 25(1), 357-397
Ermer, A. E., Roach, A. L., Coleman, M., & Ganong, L.
(2021). Attitudes about forgiveness and leaving a relationship: The context of relationship aggression. Journalof Interpersonal Violence, 886260521997437. https://doi.
org/10.1177/0886260521997437
Logan, T. (2017). “If I can’t have you, nobody will”: Explicit
threats in the context of coercive control. Violence and Victims, 32(1), 126-140. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.
VV-D-14-00187
McKinley, C. E., & Liddell, J. L. (2022). “Why I Stayedin that relationship”: Barriers to Indigenous women’s ability to leave violent relationships. Violence
Against Women, 28(14), 3352-3374. https://doi.
org/10.1177/10778012221104507

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