NCJ Number
179638
Date Published
1999
Length
137 pages
Annotation
This report documents the evaluation of Domestic Violence Matters (DVM), an experimental project in Islington, London, in which civilian crisis counselors were located in two police stations.
Abstract
Aims of the project were to provide support to victims at their most vulnerable point, to enhance the response of the criminal justice system to the crime of domestic violence, and to secure better informed and coordinated responses by local agencies to the problem of domestic violence. Joint sponsors of DVM were the London Metropolitan Police and the Islington Safer Cities Project. To provide civilian crisis intervention, promote an effective law enforcement response, and develop interagency links to encourage consistent and coordinated responses, DVM project staff included a coordinator, four support workers, and an administrator. Crisis intervention was available 16 hours a day between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m., 7 days a week. DVM was to be called in the event of an arrest, in the hope that support would increase the woman's ability and willingness to pursue prosecution. The DVM project was evaluated using participant observations, in-depth interviews, database creation and maintenance, and questionnaires. Data were obtained from police officers, service users, and local agencies. The DVM project provide crisis intervention responses to 1,236 individuals, in relation to 1,542 incidents, during the evaluation period. A response within 24 hours was achieved in 90 percent of cases. Over two-thirds of referrals were received after normal office hours, and DVM was successful in reducing repeat calls from the same individual. Crisis intervention extended beyond the incident and included short-term support and advocacy and in some instances longer-term contact. Police record-keeping on domestic violence was not systematic or consistent. Even where an offense was recorded by the police, arrest and charges occurred in only a few incidents. The DVM project, however, increased victim confidence in the police and decreased repeat calls. Most DVM users were not aware of the extent of support they could access, and DVM became a valuable local resource primarily because DVM workers provided crisis intervention services on a daily basis. The authors conclude the DVM crisis intervention model is effective, although not in the same ways for each individual. References and tables