The Fire We Ignored: What Cody Balmer’s Case Reveals About Domestic Violence
By Diana Griffin, Esq. Attorney Advisor, National Legal Center on Children and Domestic Violence
This April, as we honor Child Abuse Awareness Month, we are reminded that every child is not guaranteed safety in their home. The recent incident, where Cody Balmer set fire to Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s residence, highlights the critical conversation we must have about how domestic violence and child abuse are often precursors to acts of community violence.[i] At the time Balmer committed arson, he had an open court case against him for physically assaulting his wife and their 13-year-old and 10-year-old sons.[ii]
The details of Balmer’s history of abuse serve as a reminder that violence that starts in the home rarely stays in the home.
To create a safer society, we need to take a deeper look at how we can create safer family and intimate partner relationships. When systems fail survivors of domestic violence – including children – the consequences impact the entire community. Looking at the connection between domestic violence and mass killings helps illustrate how family violence can trickle out of the home.[iii] We must recognize that our society as a whole is responsible for preventing and stopping domestic violence.[iv] The failure of different legal and community systems to work together means that we fall short in helping survivors, perpetrators of harm, and their children.
All too often, courts fail to seriously consider domestic violence when making determinations, such as custody. A recent study highlights how courts discredit women’s claims of both domestic violence and child abuse.[v] In fact, the study found that when a woman raises a claim of abuse, she loses custody in 26% of the cases.[vi] Children’s exposure to domestic violence creates lasting impacts, that can lead to increased use of violence in adulthood.[vii] If we do not believe survivors of abuse we cannot offer them interventions and services that can help stop the cycle of violence.
BWJP’s national centers created several tools to help society better respond to both the person that causes harm and the person abused. The National Legal Center for Children and Domestic Violence (NLCCDV) trains on the SAFeR approach, which aims to close the gap between people’s lived experience of domestic violence and institutional responses to it by considering the nature, context, and effects of the abuse.[viii] NLCCDV also created State specific worksheets that utilize the specific best interest of the child factors for each jurisdiction.[ix] David Adams, the director of research and development at Emerge, the first counseling program for abusers, discusses a risk assessment protocol and risk management strategies for high-risk intimate partner violence situations.[x] If your community needs guidance on how to address domestic violence, you can reach out to The National Center for Coordinated Community Response at BWJP.[xi] Another risk factor is when abusers have access to firearms. The National Domestic Violence and Firearms Resource Center hosted a webinar to show how safer families mean safer communities.[xii] We can only end gender-based violence if we all work together.[xiii]
If you are experiencing domestic violence and do not know where to turn for assistance or advice, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.
[i] Victim Safety and Offender Accountability: The Intimate Partner Violence Interventions - BWJP. (2018, September 21). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/victim-safety-and-offender-accountability-the-intimate-partner-violence-interventions/
[ii] Tolan, C., Devine, C., & de, M. (2025, April 14). Shapiro arson suspect faced charges in domestic violence case, financial and legal turmoil. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/14/politics/cody-balmer-shapiro-arson-suspect-invs/index.html
[iii] Domestic Violence-Related Mass and Spree Killings - BWJP. (2022, August 25). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/domestic-violence-related-mass-and-spree-killings/
[iv] Reimagining CCR: A Focus on Survivor-Centered Design - BWJP. (2022, February 28). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/coordinated-community-response-report/
[v][v] Meier, J. S. (2020). U.S. child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse allegations: what do the data show? Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 42(1), 92–105 at 96. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2020.1701941
[vi] Id.
[vii] Burke, C., Ellis, J. D., Peltier, M. R., Roberts, W., Verplaetse, T. L., Phillips, S., Moore, K. E., Marotta, P. L., & McKee, S. A. (2022). Adverse Childhood Experiences and Pathways to Violent Behavior for Women and Men. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(3-4), 4034–4060. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221113012
[viii] Safer Approach to Decision Making in Domestic Related Child Custody Disputes (August 8, 2018) https://bwjp.org/site-resources/safer-approach-to-decision-making-in-domestic-related-child-custody-disputes/?section_slug=child-custody-and-support
[ix] Safer Approach to Decision Making in Domestic Related Child Custody Disputes (August 8, 2018) https://bwjp.org/site-resources/safer-approach-to-decision-making-in-domestic-related-child-custody-disputes/?section_slug=child-custody-and-support
[x] Assessing and Responding to Men who Pose High Risk to their Intimate Partners, David Adams (June 22, 2018) https://bwjp.org/site-resources/assessing-and-responding-to-men-who-pose-high-risk-to-their-intimate-partners/
[xi] Reimagine Coordinated Community Response with BWJP - BWJP. (2024, September 4). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/reimagine-coordinated-community-response-bwjp/
[xii] Safer Families, Safer Communities - BWJP. (2017, September 5). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/safer-families-safer-communities/
[xiii] White House Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality - BWJP. (2023, May 26). BWJP. https://bwjp.org/site-resources/white-house-strategy-on-gender-equity-and-equality/
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