By Michel Phillips | Father & Co.
At Father & Co., we focus on what happens after systems fail families—and how they can be rebuilt to protect children, parents, and lives before irreversible harm occurs.
That’s why Indiana’s renewed debate over House Bill 1310—often called the “Gabby Petito Act”—deserves attention not just from lawmakers and police, but from parents who understand how fragile safety can be behind closed doors.
The bill, reintroduced by Maureen Bauer, would require officers responding to domestic violence calls to administer a lethality assessment: a short, evidence-based set of questions designed to identify whether someone is at high risk of being seriously injured or killed by an intimate partner.
Why This Matters to Parents—Especially Fathers
Domestic violence doesn’t exist in isolation. When danger escalates between adults, children are almost always affected—emotionally, psychologically, and sometimes physically.
Too often, parents (of all genders) minimize risk during police encounters:
- “It’s not that bad.”
- “He wouldn’t really hurt me.”
- “I just want this to calm down.”
Lethality assessments are designed to cut through that fog—not to assign blame, but to recognize patterns that research shows are most likely to precede serious harm or death. Strangulation, access to firearms, escalating threats, obsessive control, and separation attempts are all red flags that don’t always show up in a single snapshot.
For fathers who worry about their children’s safety—whether they are trying to protect a partner, co-parent, or child—early identification of real danger can mean the difference between intervention and tragedy.
Lessons From a Tragic Case
The legislation is named after Gabby Petito, whose 2021 murder shocked the country. Before her death, police responded to a domestic incident involving Gabby and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Warning signs were present, but the true level of risk was not recognized at the time.
Her father, Joseph Petito, has since become a national advocate for better tools and training, emphasizing a reality many parents already know: domestic violence impacts not just partners, but entire family systems—including millions of children every year.
A Tool—Not a Punishment
From a Father & Co. perspective, one of the most important aspects of Indiana’s revised bill is what it doesn’t do.
It does not:
- Mandate arrests
- Remove officer discretion
- Automatically escalate criminal charges
Instead, it focuses on information and connection—helping officers identify high-risk situations and link families to support services, safety planning, and advocates who can help stabilize volatile situations before they explode.
That matters for parents who fear that calling for help will automatically make things worse.
Getting It Right Matters
No law is a cure-all. Tools can be misused if they’re poorly implemented or treated as box-checking exercises. But ignoring evidence-based warning signs has costs—often paid by children who grow up carrying trauma from violence adults failed to stop in time.
For families navigating fear, conflict, or instability, the goal should always be the same: intervene early, de-escalate safely, and keep kids out of harm’s way.
Indiana’s HB 1310 is not a final answer. But as a starting point, it reflects something Father & Co. believes deeply: families deserve systems that listen more carefully before lives are broken beyond repair.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, confidential help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org.
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Father & Co. exists to support parents navigating separation, custody, and systems that are often confusing, isolating, or overwhelming. This work is grounded in lived experience, careful research, and respect for the real stakes families face.
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