DOI: 10.3886/icpsr03019.v1
title: Nature and Scope of Violence Against Women in San Diego [California], 1996-1998
title: Version 1

description: The goal of this study was to compile and analyze data
about incidents of domestic violence in San Diego County, California,
in order to enhance understanding of the nature and scope of violence
against women. The following objectives were set to achieve this goal:
(1) to develop a standardized interview instrument to be used by all
emergency shelters for battered women in the region, and (2) to
conduct interviews with shelter staff. For this study, the San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG) collected information about
domestic violence in San Diego County from clients admitted to
battered women's shelters. The Compilation of Research and Evaluation
(CORE) intake interview (Part 1) was initiated in March of
1997. Through this interview, researchers gathered data over a
22-month period, through December 1998, for 599 clients. The CORE
discharge interview (Part 2) was theoretically completed at the time
of exit with each client who completed the CORE intake interview in
order to document the services received. However, data collection at
exit was not reliable, due to factors beyond the researchers' control,
and thus researchers did not receive a discharge form for each
individual who had an intake form. For Part 1 (Intake Data),
demographic variables include the client's primary language, and the
client and batterer's age, education, race, how they supported
themselves, their annual incomes, and their children's sex, age, and
ethnicity. Other variables cover whether the client had been to this
shelter within the last 12 months, the kind of housing the client had
before she came to the shelter, person's admitted along with
the client, drug and alcohol use by the client, the batterer, and the
children, relationship between the client and the batterer (e.g.,
spouse, former spouse), if the client and batterer had been in the
military, if the client or children were military dependents, the
client's citizenship, if the client and batterer had any
physical/mental limitations, abuse characteristics (e.g., physical,
verbal, sexual, weapon involved), and the client's medical treatment
history (e.g., went to hospital, had been abused while pregnant,
witnessed abuse while growing up, had been involved in other abusive
relationships, had attempted suicide). Additional variables provide
legal information (number of times police had been called to the
client's household as a result of domestic violence, if anyone in the
household had been arrested as a result of those calls, if any charges
were filed, if the client or batterer had been convicted of abuse), if
the client had a restraining order against the batterer, how the
client found out about the shelter, the number of times the client had
been admitted to a domestic violence shelter, the client's assessment
of her needs at the time of admittance, and the
interviewer/counselor's assessment of the client's needs at the time
of admittance. Part 2 (Discharge Data) provides information on
services the client received from the shelter during her stay (food,
clothing, permanent housing, transitional housing, financial
assistance, employment, education, medical help, assistance with
retrieving belongings, assistance with retrieving/replacing legal
documents, law enforcement, temporary restraining order), and
services this client received as a referral to another agency
(attorney, divorce, child care, counseling, transportation, safety
plan, victim/witness funds, mental health services, department of
social services, Children's Services Bureau, help with immigration,
drug treatment).
description: At a women's health summit in 1995, the
 California Elected Women's Association for Education and Research
 (CEWAER) identified violence as a priority public health issue for
 women. The Association convened a group of experts to craft a set of
 policy recommendations aimed at reducing violence against women in
 California and preventing the serious injuries that result from
 violent crimes. The first recommendation in the CEWAER report
 described the need for research. It stated that even though women's
 health was dramatically affected by violence, very little research had
 been done in areas that were critical to understanding and preventing
 violence against women. To begin a comprehensive analysis of trends
 related to violence against women, CEWAER sponsored a study in San
 Diego County to evaluate prevention and intervention services offered
 to female victims through a survey of service providers. The goal of
 the study was to compile and analyze data about incidents of domestic
 violence in San Diego County in order to enhance understanding of the
 nature and scope of violence against women. The following objectives
 were set to achieve this goal: (1) to develop a standardized interview
 instrument to be used by all emergency shelters for battered women in
the region, and (2) to conduct interviews with shelter staff.
description: This study was conducted by the San Diego
 Association of Governments (SANDAG). It collected information about
 domestic violence in San Diego County from clients admitted to
 battered women's shelters. Information about clients who sought
 protection at shelters was made possible with the help and cooperation
 of the shelter staff. The Compilation of Research and Evaluation
 (CORE) intake interview (Part 1) was initiated in March of
 1997. Through this interview, researchers gathered data over a
 22-month period, through December 1998, for 599 clients. Shelters were
 mailed a discrete number of forms and were provided with mail-back
 envelopes to expedite return to SANDAG. The intake form was
 administered when the client was admitted to the shelter. All shelters
 completed the intake form within 72 hours of client admittance,
 although two conducted the interview within 24 hours. Prior to the
 first interview, shelter staff were trained by the researchers with
 respect to appropriate interview techniques. Instances in which a CORE
 form was not completed included situations when clients stayed only a
 few hours in the shelter or when new staff were unfamiliar with the
 interview. The CORE discharge interview (Part 2) was theoretically
 completed at the time of exit with each client who completed the CORE
 intake interview in order to document the services received. However,
 data collection at exit was not reliable, due to factors beyond the
 researchers' control, and thus researchers did not receive a discharge
form for each individual who had an intake form.
description: For Part 1 (Intake Data), demographic variables
 include the client's primary language, and the client and batterer's
 age, education, race, how they supported themselves, their annual
 incomes, and their children's sex, age, and ethnicity. Other variables
 cover whether the client had been to this shelter within the last 12
 months, the kind of housing the client had before she came to the
 shelter, persons admitted along with the client, drug and alcohol use
 by the client, the batterer, and the children, relationship between
 the client and the batterer (e.g., spouse, former spouse), if the
 client and batterer had been in the military, if the client or
 children were military dependents, the client's citizenship, if the
 client and batterer had any physical/mental limitations, abuse
 characteristics (e.g., physical, verbal, sexual, weapon involved), and
 the client's medical treatment history (e.g., went to hospital, had
 been abused while pregnant, witnessed abuse while growing up, had been
 involved in other abusive relationships, had attempted suicide).
 Additional variables provide legal information (number of times police
 had been called to the client's household as a result of domestic
 violence, if anyone in the household had been arrested as a result of
 those calls, if any charges were filed, if the client or batterer had
 been convicted of abuse), if the client had a restraining order
 against the batterer, how the client found out about the shelter, the
 number of times the client had been admitted to a domestic violence
 shelter, the client's assessment of her needs at the time of
 admittance, and the interviewer/counselor's assessment of the client's
 needs at the time of admittance. Part 2 (Discharge Data) provides
 information on services the client received from the shelter during
 her stay (food, clothing, permanent housing, transitional housing,
 financial assistance, employment, education, medical help, assistance
 with retrieving belongings, assistance with retrieving/replacing legal
 documents, law enforcement, and temporary restraining order), and
 services this client received as a referral to another agency
 (attorney, divorce, child care, counseling, transportation, safety
 plan, victim/witness funds, mental health services, department of
 social services, Children's Services Bureau, help with immigration,
drug treatment).
description: Response Rates: Not applicable.
description: Presence of Common Scales: None.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Intake Data
DS2: Discharge Data
description: Clients who sought protection at San Diego County
emergency shelters from 1997 to 1998.