NEED FOR A COORDINATED RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Each year more than two million women are seriously assaulted by their male partners (Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association, 1992). Countless others suffer less serious physical abuse as well as verbal or emotional abuse. The needs of battered women and their batterers span several service systems, requiring interventions by one or more of the criminal and civil justice systems, social service, health or mental health agencies, and support systems for battered women and their families.
The criminal justice system has historically served as the main vehicle in a community's response to domestic violence. The National Crime Victim Survey found that 56 percent of women who had been victims of a violent crime committed by an intimate partner reported the incident to the police (Bachman, 1994). In recent years, the justice systems in many communities have implemented mandatory and probable cause arrest policies, and pro-prosecution (i.e., "victimless" prosecution) policies, which move to take the responsibility off the victim for determining whether or not to pursue legal remedies.
Battered women may also access domestic violence shelters and services instead of, or in addition to, criminal justice measures. The number of shelters and domestic violence services has grown tremendously, increasing from only a few shelters in the late 1970s to more than 800 a decade later (Gelles and Straus, 1988). Domestic violence programs frequently provide a number of services in addition to shelter, such as counseling, legal assistance, and advocacy. Despite their wider availability, shelter services are not used by most battered women. Gelles and Straus found that less than 2 percent of women who were severely abused reported seeking help from a battered women's shelter during the prior year, and no victims of minor violence sought help from shelters (Gelles and Straus, 1988).
The health care system often unwittingly provides another important source of services for battered women, although traditionally it has not played an active role in identifying or intervening in domestic violence. Battered women seek treatment for traumatic injuries resulting from the abuse (e.g., bruises, cuts, broken bones, etc.), and for primary care complaints related to the abuse (e.g., chronic headaches, abdominal pains, sleeplessness, depression, etc.) (Council on Scientific Affairs, AMA, 1992). Research indicates that more than one-fifth, and perhaps as many as one-third, of women receiving care in hospital emergency departments have symptoms related to domestic violence (Council on Scientific Affairs, AMA, 1992). Women seeking health care may not be connected to other services for the domestic violence. Thus, the health care system serves as an important intervention point for battered women who are not being served by other systems. In recent years some health care providers have become increasingly aware of this issue and have developed policies to screen for domestic violence and to intervene in these cases.
Other service systems such as alcohol and drug treatment programs, child protective services, and programs for the homeless are also very likely to have clients who suffer from domestic violence, and may also have clients who are perpetrators. At this time, these systems are even less likely than health care systems to screen for domestic violence among their clients, or to intervene and offer services if domestic violence issues become apparent. However, some communities are beginning to incorporate one or more of these systems into the domestic violence service network. Some sites in this study are also expanding their network to include businesses, clergy, and the larger community.
As communities draw in different kinds of services, they will face challenges in integrating these new services into the existing network. They will also encounter issues related to the fact that the clients of these newly-integrated services are likely to have different attitudes and motivations than the women who traditionally have sought shelter and other domestic violence services on their own. This report describes some of the experiences that communities have faced as they strive toward a coordinated response to domestic violence.
https://aspe.hhs.gov/execsum/coordinated-community-responses-domestic-violence-six-communities-beyond-justice-system
The criminal justice system has historically served as the main vehicle in a community's response to domestic violence. The National Crime Victim Survey found that 56 percent of women who had been victims of a violent crime committed by an intimate partner reported the incident to the police (Bachman, 1994). In recent years, the justice systems in many communities have implemented mandatory and probable cause arrest policies, and pro-prosecution (i.e., "victimless" prosecution) policies, which move to take the responsibility off the victim for determining whether or not to pursue legal remedies.
Battered women may also access domestic violence shelters and services instead of, or in addition to, criminal justice measures. The number of shelters and domestic violence services has grown tremendously, increasing from only a few shelters in the late 1970s to more than 800 a decade later (Gelles and Straus, 1988). Domestic violence programs frequently provide a number of services in addition to shelter, such as counseling, legal assistance, and advocacy. Despite their wider availability, shelter services are not used by most battered women. Gelles and Straus found that less than 2 percent of women who were severely abused reported seeking help from a battered women's shelter during the prior year, and no victims of minor violence sought help from shelters (Gelles and Straus, 1988).
The health care system often unwittingly provides another important source of services for battered women, although traditionally it has not played an active role in identifying or intervening in domestic violence. Battered women seek treatment for traumatic injuries resulting from the abuse (e.g., bruises, cuts, broken bones, etc.), and for primary care complaints related to the abuse (e.g., chronic headaches, abdominal pains, sleeplessness, depression, etc.) (Council on Scientific Affairs, AMA, 1992). Research indicates that more than one-fifth, and perhaps as many as one-third, of women receiving care in hospital emergency departments have symptoms related to domestic violence (Council on Scientific Affairs, AMA, 1992). Women seeking health care may not be connected to other services for the domestic violence. Thus, the health care system serves as an important intervention point for battered women who are not being served by other systems. In recent years some health care providers have become increasingly aware of this issue and have developed policies to screen for domestic violence and to intervene in these cases.
Other service systems such as alcohol and drug treatment programs, child protective services, and programs for the homeless are also very likely to have clients who suffer from domestic violence, and may also have clients who are perpetrators. At this time, these systems are even less likely than health care systems to screen for domestic violence among their clients, or to intervene and offer services if domestic violence issues become apparent. However, some communities are beginning to incorporate one or more of these systems into the domestic violence service network. Some sites in this study are also expanding their network to include businesses, clergy, and the larger community.
As communities draw in different kinds of services, they will face challenges in integrating these new services into the existing network. They will also encounter issues related to the fact that the clients of these newly-integrated services are likely to have different attitudes and motivations than the women who traditionally have sought shelter and other domestic violence services on their own. This report describes some of the experiences that communities have faced as they strive toward a coordinated response to domestic violence.
https://aspe.hhs.gov/execsum/coordinated-community-responses-domestic-violence-six-communities-beyond-justice-system