MOSAIC: The Tool That Could Save Your Life
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 20th, 2010
Good Morning. I don’t know if any of you saw Oprah the other day. I actually didn’t myself, but I am now privy to the information that was given on her show. And in light of the hot topic, according to all of the comments regarding Tim McVeigh, I felt that this topic was relevant to post today.
According to security expert Gavin de Becker, a woman dies every four hours in the United States at the hands of her boyfriend or spouse. Gavin also says these crimes are often predictable and preventable.
To combat domestic violence, Gavin has developed a potentially lifesaving tool called MOSAIC. This online assessment is free and protects the user’s identity.
What is MOSAIC?
MOSAIC is a computer-assisted method for conducting comprehensive assessments – in the same way that diagnosis is a method used by a doctor. An effective medical diagnosis results when a doctor knows which questions to ask, knows which tests will produce the most accurate answers, and then knows how to draw relevant conclusions from all the answers combined together.
Similarly, assessing whether a situation has the combination of factors that are associated with escalated risk and danger requires that you know what questions to ask, and then know how to consider all your answers in a way that enhances insight. The MOSAIC method works by breaking a situation down factor-by-factor, like pieces of a puzzle, and then seeing what picture emerges when you put them together.
MOSAIC helps the assessor weigh the present situation in light of expert opinion and research, and instantly compare the present situation to past cases where the outcomes are known.
Early MOSAIC systems were developed more than twenty years ago. Today, the enhanced MOSAIC method is used by the U.S. Supreme Court Police to assess threats to the Justices, by the U.S. Marshals Service for screening threats to judicial officials, by the U.S. Capitol Police for threats against Members of Congress, by police agencies protecting the governors of eleven states, by many large corporations, and by thirty top universities.
There are unique MOSAIC systems for different situations, including:
- Threats and fear in the workplace
- Threats by students
- Threats against judges
- Threats against public figures and public officials
- Spousal abuse situations
Unlike a checklist, MOSAIC facilitates an in-depth exploration of a situation, bringing attention to factors and combinations of factors that might otherwise go unnoticed.
A development team of experts in psychology, law enforcement, victims’ advocacy, prosecution, mental health, and threat assessment determines what areas of inquiry will produce the highest quality assessments. MOSAIC poses those questions to users, accompanied by a range of possible answers. MOSAIC calculates the value of the answers selected by the assessor, and expresses the results on a scale of 1 to 10. MOSAIC automatically produces a full written report, describing the factors that were considered.
Unlike a book (or even a whole library), MOSAIC offers information at precisely the point in an assessment at which it’s most valuable. On-line resources include a library of research, publications, and training videos made by the Nation’s leading experts in threat assessment, behavioral sciences, criminal investigation, law enforcement, and psychology. The goal is that people conducting assessments come away better informed than they began.
Anyone—the victim or concerned loved ones—can log onto the website and answer 46 questions to determine how much of a threat an abuser poses to an individual or family. “MOSAIC expresses its results on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most likely to escalate—including homicide,” Gavin says.
The technology is based on similar programs used to protect congressmen and Supreme Court justices. “It takes the factors of a situation and breaks them down and then sees all these pieces of the puzzle and puts it back together in a way that, in a domestic violence situation, a woman can see the picture for the first time.”
4 red flags of a potentially abusive relationship
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From The Oprah Winfrey Show “Stay Alive” Expert Gavin de Becker Unveils the New Tool to Keep You Safe
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Relationship Violence Red Flags
Security expert Gavin de Becker says there are many ways to predict and identify relationship violence. Learn about four warning signs and how to leave the relationship safely.
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A Mother’s Fight for Life
Teri thought the abuse was over after she left her husband. Then, he did the unthinkable. Teri and security expert Gavin de Becker on the lessons you can learn from her story.
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Trusting Your Intuition Could Save Your Life
World-renowned security expert Gavin de Becker says we all possess a weapon that can prevent most crimes before they happen.
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Excerpt from The Gift of Fear
In this empowering book, Gavin de Becker shows you how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
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“Why Didn’t they Stop Him?”
Vernetta Cockerham did everything by the book. She took her abusive husband to court. Got a protective order. Reported his violations to the police. Yet in the end, none of that was enough.
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Readers: I haven’t taken any of the assessments as I do not consider myself in need of assessing a situation that could be potentially dangerous for me. However, I am curious to see how it works, so I have no doubt I will play around with it.
As much as I hope that no one needs to take one of these tests, the statistics talk for themselves. A woman dying at the hands of a man every 4 hours is just unacceptable. We women, need to protect ourselves, and now we have a tool to help us and others do just that. So I hope that if you are experiencing or even having a gut instinct about someone you know, you will take the test that is appropriate for your situation. It could save your life, someone else’s, or maybe even a few lives.
Perhaps if MOSAIC was a test that was available to the general public back in 1995, someone who knew McVeigh might have taken it and this atrocity in Oklahoma City could’ve been prevented. I can’t imagine how many lives will now be saved because of it.
Evelyn: I touched on this the other day but you brought it home girl, better than I ever could have. Well said. How are you? Hi Ruth. How are the girls?
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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April 20th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Hi Michelle, thanks for your blog today….I’m a fan of Mosaic and what it can do and am so glad to hear Oprah talked about it on her show! A great topic to discuss!
April 21st, 2010 at 6:39 am
Michelle
I tried to get in yesterday to say i too am a fan of Mosaic. You are always on top of things so I expected you would have the dibs on Mosaic.
Thanks
April 21st, 2010 at 6:46 am
For the Quickest Refund…
Martin S. Kaplan, CPA
If the IRS owes you a refund, you’ll want to get it as quickly as possible. How to do it…
FILING STRATEGIES
File electronically. This greatly speeds the receipt and processing of your tax return. It also prevents many common filing errors that delay the processing of paper returns — and the receipt of refunds due on them.
Examples of common errors: Omitted forms, math mistakes, missing Social Security numbers for dependents, missing signatures.
Electronically filed returns are computer-checked during the filing process, catching these errors before filing. You can file electronically from your home computer using commercial tax preparation software or have your return prepared by a professional who will file it electronically for you.
File for free: This year, all taxpayers can file electronically for free through the IRS’s Free File program. For details, visit the IRS site (www.irs.gov) and click on “1040 Central.”
Receive your refund by direct deposit. Have the IRS send your refund electronically to the bank or investment account you specify, including an IRA, if you wish. You can split a direct-deposit refund among up to three different accounts.
This speeds refund delivery and eliminates risk that a refund check will be lost in the mail, misplaced or misappropriated. To request a direct-deposit refund, simply follow the directions in your tax return’s instructions.
Payoff: You can get your refund in as little as three weeks by using both electronic filing and direct deposit — compared with six weeks if filing a paper return to get a mailed refund check.
BUSINESS TAXES
Many self-employed people and business owners have been hit hard by the recession. But there is good news — businesses may have special “fast refund” opportunities.
A regular corporation that overpaid its estimated taxes for 2009 can get a “quick refund” of them by filing IRS Form 4466, Corporation Application for Quick Refund of Overpayment of Estimated Tax, before it files its regular tax return, as soon as its tax year is over. The IRS will act on the request within 45 days.
Bottom Line/Wealth interviewed Martin S. Kaplan, a CPA in private practice in New York City. He is a frequent guest speaker at insurance, banking and financial-planning seminars and author of What the IRS Doesn’t Want You to Know (Wiley).
April 21st, 2010 at 7:10 am
Thanks for thinking of the girls and me Michelle. I actually wrote you a long (perhaps too long) letter about what we have been up to, but I got “Error establishing a database connection” every time I tried to post it.
So This will have to do till I can try again. They are doing fine, driving their mom crazy and moving in 12 different directions at once.
Ruth
April 21st, 2010 at 7:19 am
Michelle
I’m just happy you have enlightened us to a way to protect ourselves from the abusers by checking them out of our lives before they can wreck their havocs.
Thanks
Vivian
April 21st, 2010 at 7:39 am
Michelle
Here is another example of the insane limits that men will go to to maintain control over women.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/04/20/iran.promiscuity.earthquakes/index.html?hpt=T2
Ahoo
April 21st, 2010 at 7:49 am
If you ever wondered why white men espouse States Rights of Federal Rights take a look at Arizona.
A bunch of racists making it a police state that extends affirmative action to whites over OTWs. Police can stop anyone and demand identity papers. So who do you think will be stopped? We know it won’t be the hold overs for the Baltic regions and any white countries of Europe.
Wait until you hear the hype they will be spewing. And the bullshit. We who are sworn to “protect and Serve” will respect the people we police.
Yes, many videos exposing police brutality show all that respect from law enforcement the people are getting around the country.
Jackie
April 21st, 2010 at 7:53 am
Q: Somehow, I always seem to ruin my credit cards… doing something to them so that they can no longer be swiped. What am I doing wrong?
A: Any kind of wear — scratches, dirt, moisture and even just continued use — can interfere with the magnetic strips and bar codes on cards. And even if your card is not being swiped through a machine, you may be shopping by phone or online — in which case you’ll need to be able to read the three digit “CVC2 code” printed on the signature panel on the back of many cards.
(On American Express cards, it’s four digits and on the front.) A growing number of merchants require that you give this security number as greater evidence that you actually have the card in hand.
To keep your credit cards in working condition…
Ask your bank for protective sleeves for your most used and most important cards. They are made of lightweight but durable Tyvek, the slippery material also used to make envelopes (and to protect new houses).
Then make sure each of these cards has its own slot in your wallet — this reduces pressure and scraping. (Even inside a protective sleeve, debris can scratch your card.)
If you have other cards that you use less often yet want to keep with you (such as customer reward cards, movie rental cards, gym or library cards), put these in an inexpensive Velcro wallet or card case that you can stash in your purse, pocket or car glove compartment.
Never place your credit or debit card near the demagnetizing machine (used to “turn off” antitheft devices on certain merchandise) located on or near the checkout counter — these machines can ruin the magnetic strip, rendering the card useless.
Our inside source: Nancy Dunnan, a New York City-based financial and travel adviser and author or coauthor of 25 books, including How to Invest $50 – $5,000 (HarperCollins).
April 21st, 2010 at 8:01 am
Hafa adai
I was at the airport when the Korean made its first landing in Guam. It’s here.
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Guam -The 183 passengers that traveled on the inaugural flight of Jin Air from Korea to the island received a warm welcome Tuesday afternoon at the Guam International Airport.
Jin air is the newest carrier to serve the island. The low cost airline is a subsidiary of Korean Air and offers more affordable prices to travel from Korea to Guam.
Airport spokeswoman Rolenda Faasuamalie says the new flight service opens up the Korean tourism market to the pacific in a new way, especially with daily arrivals in the afternoon. The flight has no business class seating, but can seat up to 183 people on a 737-800 aircraft.
Guam is the second international destination for Jin Air. The airline also offers a younger and fresher look as its flight attendants can wear jeans!
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The Island will definitely get crowded.
Ries
April 21st, 2010 at 8:05 am
This is not news but should be reemphasized because Big Pharma is still trying to force Statins on everyone.
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Statins aimed at healthy people
The FDA has dished out some pretty bad advice over the years… but this one takes the cake: Crestor, a cholesterol- lowering statin drug, has been approved for completely healthy people with normal cholesterol levels.
I warned you this day would come… but that doesn’t make this dose of bad news any easier to take.
Under the new guidelines, docs can now give this dangerous drug to people with “other” risk factors for heart problems –-such as elevated levels of C-reactive protein.
But this decision didn’t come after an exhaustive series of studies… and it wasn’t based on the overwhelming body of scientific evidence.
It was made based on a single study funded by the drug’s maker. Not only that, but they pulled the plug on this study two years early–essentially the moment they got the result they wanted.
And even then, the researchers didn’t uncover any real stunners. In fact, a recent article in the New York Times points out that 500 people would have to take Crestor for an entire year–at a combined cost of $638,000–to avoid a single usually survivable heart attack.
That’s a lot of prescriptions–and a lot of money–for not much benefit. Those pills cost $3.50 each–and you’ll be paying for them whether or not you actually take Crestor, since the FDA approval means insurance companies will have to cover it. That can lead to higher premiums for everyone, and more money will be needed for taxpayer-funded medical plans.
Of course, it’s not about cost alone–most of us would gladly pay nearly any price for something that could truly help us to live longer, healthier lives.
But statins aren’t going to do that for you.
These meds have been linked to debilitating muscle pain, liver damage and even an increased risk of diabetes. And they’re not even the best way to achieve their original goal of lower cholesterol levels.
Lifestyle changes will beat these meds every single time. You don’t need to make dramatic changes–just simple choices like eating better and getting more movement into your life will do the trick.
The time to act is now–before your own doctor begins pressuring you to take these meds.
Then again, even if you’re perfectly healthy, you can expect to hear a statin sales pitch any day now thanks to the FDA.
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Big Pharma wants to be your drug dealer.
Tina
April 21st, 2010 at 9:16 am
Zen Lill
I am just starting to be a fan of this blog. I have to tell you how impressed I am with how you relate to male issues. My wife and I have been at odds these past few months because I agree with most of your comments while she is a Michelle puppet.
You bring balance to a blog that is mostly about hating men. I know that I am not the only male reading this blog that feels that way.
Eric
April 21st, 2010 at 9:18 am
Subject: Take two aspirin…
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year for their amusement.
Here are last year’s winners…
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling
ball wouldn’t.
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Nice brief and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you on your information.