NCJ Number
144467
Date Published
1993
Length
76 pages
Annotation
Nine lunch meetings attended by policymakers, legislators, advocates, criminal justice personnel, academicians, and media representatives were held in Massachusetts to raise media and public awareness about the problem of domestic assault and to promote meaningful change in public policy.
Abstract
The sessions focused on the implications of new amendments to the 12-year-old Abuse Prevention Law, the granting of clemency for battered women imprisoned for killing their batterers, police response to domestic assault, training for criminal justice personnel, the role of the medical community, treatment effectiveness, domestic assault policy in Massachusetts, and other issues. Recommendations focused on three areas: (1) early intervention and prevention; (2) the need for an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to domestic assault; and (3) long-term strategies to protect victims and prevent further domestic assault in Massachusetts. Specific recommended measures include ensuring victim access to services on a 24- hour basis, multidisciplinary training, law reform to allow minors to seek treatment for injuries from domestic violence without parental permission, and the provision in medical settings of more social workers and victim advocates trained in domestic violence issues. Footnotes and 32 recommendations