"The children are victims," Miller said. "It is extremely damaging to their self-esteem, to their confidence in their parents and damaging to their security."

Beyond that, violence in the home is a big predictor of future criminal behavior, she said. So to stem the tide of crime later, this cycle has to be stopped now.

She expects to make an announcement about a new domestic violence strategy within a month.

So, if some of these state, county or local proposals are actually implemented, there may yet be results.

Gaps in the system

The past few years show it's a laborious process.

The Utah Department of Health's Violence and Injury Prevention Program made more than 30 recommendations in its 2005 report, "Domestic Violence Fatalities in Utah." They were aimed at law enforcement, the judicial system, child welfare agencies, health care, clergy and victim advocates.

Few, if any, have have been heeded.

"It's kind of bogged down by bureaucracy," said Teresa Brechlin, who coordinated the study for the health department.

In the past year, a committee has whittled the list to eight priorities. Some require policy or procedural changes that aren't easy to make, she said.

One of the recommendations is for a state domestic violence database to track offenders who move and change addresses often. Another suggests judges and prosecutors review entire case histories before sentencing offenders.

That's pretty hard to do, said Salt Lake City Justice Court Judge John Baxter.

Computer systems don't talk to each other, which means an incomplete picture for those trying to mete out consequences for perpetrators, he said.

"There are huge gaps in the system because of this," Baxter said.

Imagine this scenario:

Dad hits mom in a home with kids. The police are called. The Division of Child and Family Services comes.

Local prosecutors file charges in the criminal case. Domestic violence-related charges are usually misdemeanors, so they are handled in justice court. But police find drugs when they respond to the domestic violence, so those charges are handled in 3rd District Court. The couple gets divorced and that case is handled in a different court. The teenager in the home is impacted by the violence, acts out and gets in trouble. His case is handled in juvenile court.

"It's a mess," Baxter says. "And as a result of this, the kids aren't going to get the attention they need."

Costs and funding