DOI: 10.3886/icpsr02557
title: Benefits and Limitations of Civil Protection Orders for Victims of Domestic Violence in Wilmington, Delaware, Denver, Colorado, and the District of Columbia, 1994-1995
title: Archival Version

description: This study was designed to explore whether civil protection
 orders were effective in providing safer environments for victims of
 domestic violence and enhancing their opportunities for escaping
 violent relationships. The researchers looked at the factors that
 might influence civil protection orders, such as accessibility to the
 court process, linkages to public and private services and sources of
 support, and the criminal record of the victim's abuser, and then
 examined how courts in three jurisdictions processed civil protection
 orders. Wilmington, Delaware, Denver, Colorado, and the District of
 Columbia were chosen as sites because of structural differences among
 them that were believed to be linked to the effectiveness of civil
 protection orders. Since these jurisdictions each had different court
 processes and service models, the researchers expected that these
 models would produce various results and that these variations might
 hold implications for improving practices in other jurisdictions. Data
 were collected through initial and follow-up interviews with women who
 had filed civil protection orders. The effectiveness of the civil
 protection orders was measured by the amount of improvement in the
 quality of the women's lives after the order was in place, versus the
 extent of problems created by the protection orders. Variables from
 the survey of women include police involvement at the incident leading
 to the protection order, the relationship of the petitioner and
 respondent to the petition prior to the order, history of abuse, the
 provisions asked for and granted in the order, if a permanent order
 was not filed for by the petitioner, the reasons why, the court
 experience, protective measures the petitioner undertook after the
 order, and how the petitioner's life changed after the order. Case
 file data were gathered on when the order was filed and issued,
 contempt motions and hearings, stipulations of the order, and social
 service referrals. Data on the arrest and conviction history of the
petition respondent were also collected.
description: The purpose of this study was to explore whether
 civil protection orders were effective in providing safer environments
 for victims of domestic violence and enhancing their opportunities for
 escaping violent relationships. The study was designed to build on
 prior research that explored the comprehensiveness of relief provided
 in protection orders, the specificity of the protection order terms,
 and how well and consistently the orders were enforced. This study
 looked at other factors that might influence civil protection orders,
 such as accessibility to the court process, linkages to public and
 private services and sources of support, and the criminal record of
 the victim's abuser. At the time of this study, civil protection
 orders had become available in all 50 states, but many states still
 placed significant restrictions on their availability and the scope of
 relief provided in them. This study examined how courts in three
 jurisdictions processed civil protection orders. Since each of these
 jurisdictions had court processes and service models that differed
 from the others, the researchers expected that these models would
 produce various results, and that these variations might hold
implications for improving practices in other jurisdictions.
description: To explore the factors that make civil protection
 orders effective, the researchers chose three sites for evaluation:
 (1) the family court in Wilmington, Delaware, (2) the county court in
 Denver, Colorado, and (3) the District of Columbia Superior Court. The
 sites were chosen because of structural differences among them that
 were believed to be linked to the effectiveness of civil protection
 orders. These structural differences included the court intake
 process, the level of assistance petitioners for orders received, and
 the amount of access to court hearings. There were four methods of
 data collection at each of the sites. First, initial telephone
 interviews were conducted with 285 women petitioners for protection
 orders across the three sites approximately one month after they
 received either temporary or permanent protection orders. Second,
 follow-up interviews were conducted with 177 of the same group of
 petitioners about six months later. Third, additional data were
 collected from the civil case records of petitioners who participated
 in the study and, fourth, from the criminal history records of the men
 named in the protection orders. The effectiveness of the civil
 protection orders was measured by the amount of improvement in the
 quality of the women's lives after the order was in place, versus the
extent of problems created by the protection orders.
description: Variables about the incident leading to a
 protection order include what the police did at the scene, whether the
 police informed the victim about protection orders, and whether the
 abuser was arrested and prosecuted. Data were also gathered on the
 relationship of the petitioner and the respondent to the petition
 prior to the incident leading to a protection order, including their
 marital status, number of children they had in common, history of
 abuse, and support sought by the petitioner from doctors, police,
 lawyers, family, and clergy. Other variables document the provisions
 that were asked for and granted in the protection orders, including
 prohibiting contact, threats, phone calls, and visits by the
 respondent to the petition, requiring the respondent to move out of
 the home, awarding care of the children or personal property to the
 petitioner, or requiring the respondent to pay support. Petitioners
 who filed for temporary restraining orders but did not file for
 permanent protection orders were questioned about their reasons for
 not filing. Variables about the court experience cover whether the
 petitioner had an attorney, whether the petitioner and the respondent
 to the petition tried to reach an agreement prior to court, and how
 the judge acted toward the petitioner and the respondent to the
 petition in court. Other variables document the types of problems the
 petitioner experienced after filing for the order, including further
 abuse, problems with the children, and violations of the
 order. Petitioners were also asked about protective measures they
 undertook after filing for the order, including changing phone
 numbers, installing a security system, buying a dog, or changing the
 locks. Quality of life measures include how safe the petitioner felt
 after getting the order and whether there was further physical or
 psychological abuse after the order was in place. Case file data
 include when the order was filed and issued, contempt motions and
 hearings, stipulations of the order, and social service
 referrals. Data on the arrest and conviction history of the respondent
to the petition were also collected.
description: Response Rates: The response rate was 51 percent for the initial
interview and 60 percent for the follow-up interview.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: Convenience sampling.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Benefits and Limitations of Civil Protection Orders for Victims of Domestic Violence in Wilmington, Delaware, Denver, Colorado, and the District of Columbia, 1994-1995
description: Women who filed for protection orders in Wilmington,
 Delaware, Denver, Colorado, and the District of Columbia, between 1994
and 1995.
description: The user guide, codebook, and data collection
 instruments are provided as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The
 PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be
 accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat
 Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is
provided through the ICPSR Website on the Internet.