Domestic Violence Research: Summaries for Justice Professionals

• NCJ Number: 202564
• Date Published: December 2003
• Length: 76 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1998-WT-VX-0029
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This report presents a broad overview of domestic-violence research findings that may be useful to justice professionals in initiating and improving domestic-violence policies and practices.

Abstract

Six studies on domestic violence cases in the courts include an evaluation of efforts to implement "no-drop" policies in four sites, the effects of domestic violence on divorce mediation procedures, factors related to domestic violence court dispositions in a large urban area, prosecution strategies in domestic violence felonies, responses to domestic violence in a proactive court setting, and specialized felony domestic violence courts. Two research studies on the cycle of violence consider the causes, courses, and consequences of intimate partner violence against poor women and origins-to-actions in male-perpetrated domestic violence. Six studies pertain to research on law enforcement and/or coordinated community responses. One study focuses on the domestic violence experiment in Portland, OR; and another study presents new evidence on the effects of arrest on intimate partner violence. A third study reports on an evaluation of two coordinated community responses to domestic violence in Virginia. The other studies in this section consider the link between substance abuse and calls for service in domestic violence incidents, models of community coordination in partner violence cases, and two approaches to resolving domestic violence (a public/private partnerships and law enforcement training). Five of the studies presented pertain to victims services. They explore the experiences and needs of former stalking victims, assess the effectiveness of domestic-violence intervention programs over time, examine the links between domestic violence and substance abuse services, address victim advocacy services and service gaps, and explore violence against women in San Diego.