CarolAnn Peterson

Consultant/former Professor, United States

Title: The intersections of traumatic brain injury, strangulation and domestic violence

---

Biography

Dr. Peterson is a former Full time Lecturer at the University of Southern California and joined the School of Social Work in January, 2004 where she taught a course on domestic violence (which she created), a course on leadership, a course on policy and advocacy, a course on diversity, and a course on global violence against women.  

She was appointed to the Los Angeles Mayor’s DV Steering Committee in 2018.  This committee oversaw the research design of a needs assessment, with funding provided by Blue Shield of California Foundation; and the committee reviewed the final report.

Dr. Peterson is also a certified strangulation expert witness.  She was trained on the topic by forensic medical doctors in the USA, current and former prosecutors, current and former law enforcement officers, along with the founders of the National Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention – Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack.

Dr. CarolAnn Peterson was Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and CEO of a company which she founded, Peterson Professional Alliance.  In this capacity she worked with corporate America on recognizing domestic violence in the workplace and how domestic violence impacted their organizations; she assisted other organizations regarding welfare reform and its impact on victims of domestic violence; and she provided training on domestic violence to private, public and non-profit organizations.

Dr. Peterson has done trainings for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (part of Homeland Security) where they train rural law enforcement officers and domestic violence advocates to be trainers in their own communities.

She was a consultant for the City of Tel Aviv, Israel and the City of Los Angeles regarding a joint project between the two cities on workplace domestic violence.  She was part of this project for 8 years.

Other accomplishments have included:

·        Team advisor/team trainer for the Statewide Domestic Violence/Medical/Forensic Training Team (part of California Medical Training Center at UC Davis) which has developed curriculum and training for medical personnel to recognize and treat victims of domestic violence.

·        Member of the Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Death Review Team.

·        Legislative Advocate for the California Federation of Business & Professional Women (BPW) from 1987-1992. 

·        Appointed a Member of the State Senate Task Force on Family Relations Court (1990-1991) and was chair of one of the subcommittees. 

·        Appointed a member of the Los Angeles County Family Violence Task Force which was created by the Board of Supervisors in response to the Nicole Brown Simpson murder. 

·        Assisted former California state legislator, now Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, in passing one of the country’s first comprehensive spousal rape bills. 

·        1990-1991 Dr. Peterson and former California Assemblyman Pat Nolan wrote and successfully passed AB 4327 making 911 emergency response to domestic violence calls – priority one calls and in confiscating weapons at the scene of domestic violence incidents.

·        1992, AB 363 to overturn the jailing of battered women who refused to testify against their batterers was signed into law. 

·        1995, Dr. Peterson and former California Assemblyman/former Congressman Jim Rogan wrote and successfully sponsored AB 878 which expanded domestic violence restraining orders to include destruction of personal property.

·        Candidate for State Assembly in 1992.

She has a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, both from Loyola Marymount University of Los Angeles; and her Ph.D. in philosophy from Sanctus Theologica and is a survivor of domestic violence.

Abstract

.