Evaluation of Victim Advocacy Services for Battered Women in Detroit, 1998-1999

This study evaluated advocacy services offered to battered
 women in Detroit, Michigan, and examined other aspects of coordinated
 community responses to domestic violence by focusing on women named as
 victims in police reports. Advocacy was defined as those services
 provided to support victims during the legal process or to enhance
 their safety. For the Preliminary Complaint Reports Data (Part 1), a
 random sample of preliminary complaint reports (PCRs), completed by
 police officers after they responded to domestic violence calls, were
 gathered, resulting in a sample of 1,057 incidents and victims. For
 Victim Advocacy Contact Data (Part 2), researchers obtained data from
 advocates' files about the services they provided to the 1,057
 victims. For Case Disposition Data (Part 3), researchers conducted a
 computer search to determine the outcomes of the cases. They looked up
 each perpetrator from the list of 1,057 incidents, and determined
 whether there was a warrant for the focal incident, whether it turned
 into a prosecution, and the outcome. The Initial Victim Interview
 (Part 4) and Follow-Up Victim Interview Data (Part 5) were conducted
 from April 1998 to July 1999. During the same period that researchers
 were completing the second interviews, they also interviewed 23 women
 (Victim Comparison Group Interview Data, Part 6) from the list of
 1,057 whom they had been unable to reach during the first interviews.
 They compared these 23 women to the 63 who had second interviews to
 determine if there were any differences in use of services, or views
 toward or participation in prosecution. Variables in Part 1 focus on
 whether alcohol and abuse were involved, previous incidents, the
 suspect's psychological aggressions and physical assaults, if a weapon
 was used, if the victim was hurt, if property was damaged, if the
 victim sought medical attention, and the severity of physical abuse or
 injury. Variables in Part 2 provide information on the role of the
 advocate, methods of contact, types of referrals made, and services
 provided. Variables in Part 3 include the type of charge, outcome of
 resolved case, why the case was dismissed, if applicable, and if the
 suspect was sentenced to probation, costs, confinement, no contact
 with the victim, a batterer program, or community service. The
 initial, follow-up, and comparison group interviews (Parts 4-6) all
 collected similar information. Variables about the incident include
 how well the respondent remembered the incident, if police arrived
 promptly, if the respondent was advised to file charges, if police
 told the respondent that a counselor was available, and if the
 respondent's partner had been in jail since the incident. Variables
 concerning advocacy include whether the victim contacted advocates,
 and if advocates provided legal help and referrals. Legal system
 variables include whether the respondent felt pressured by anyone to
 drop charges or pursue charges, if the respondent received help for
 preliminary examination or trial, and if contact with the legal system
 helped the respondent. Variables about services include whether the
 respondent received assistance in temporary shelter, food/money
 resources, child care, employment, education, a lawyer for
 divorce/custody, support or self-help group, or a substance abuse
 treatment program. Variables concerning what happened in the previous
 six months cover the number of times the respondent had called police
 because of danger, left home because of a violent incident, partner
 had been arrested because of violence, and partner physically abused
 respondent. Variables about events that occurred while the respondent
 and abuser were separated include how often the partner harassed the
 respondent on the phone, wrote threatening letters, violated legal
 restrictions, refused to leave the respondent's home, failed to pay
 child support, and threatened to take the children. Demographic
 variables include respondent's race or ethnic background, education,
 marital status, number of children, number of children who lived with
 respondent, and employment status and income at the time of the
interviews.

Tags: advocacy, battered-women, domestic-violence, legal-aid, police-records, police-response, prosecution, victims, violence-against-women, women
Organization: Department of Justice