NCJ Number
66392
Date Published
1978
Length
37 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE GIVEN OF A SURVEY OF 400 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. AND PUERTO RICO; THE SURVEY INCLUDED AN APPLICATION FOR A REGIONAL PROJECT GRANT AS AN INCENTIVE FOR RESPONDING.
Abstract
THE SURVEY ELICITED 162 RESPONSES. TYPES OF BASIC SERVICES LISTED ON THE SURVEY INCLUDED INFORMATION AND REFERRAL (98.8 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS REPLIED THAT THEY PROVIDE SUCH A SERVICE), 24-HOUR 'HOT LINES' (68.2 PERCENT PROVIDE IT), AND CRISIS OUTREACH WORKERS (54.6 PERCENT HAVE THEM). LEGAL INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED BY 79 PERCENT OF ALL RESPONDENTS. NEARLY ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, BUT LESS THAN HALF SUPPLY LONGTERM COUNSELING. GROUP COUNSELING IS AVAILABLE FROM 67.9 PERCENT, BUT ONLY 40.7 PERCENT HAVE FAMILY COUNSELING. MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TEMPORARY EMERGENCY HOUSING (65.4 PERCENT). THOSE APPLYING FOR THE GRANT WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY (50 PERCENT TO 38 PERCENT) TO USE A SHELTER FACILITY THAN THOSE WHO ARE NOT APPLYING. MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SPECIAL TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF. ABOUT 79.6 PERCENT WERE INITIALLY FORMED BY VOLUNTEERS, AND MANY WERE PART OF ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. NEARLY ALL HAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY. THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED FOR THE SURVEY WAS SHOWN TO BE SUFFICIENTLY BRIEF, AND EACH QUESTION CARRIED ONLY ONE THOUGHT (A POSITIVE ASPECT). HOWEVER, PROBLEMS OF CLARITY IN SEVERAL OF THE QUESTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE QUESTIONNAIRE HAD BEEN PRETESTED, AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS REFLECTED BIAS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE INSTRUMENT IS APPENDED. EXTENSIVE TABLES SHOWING SURVEY RESPONSES REGARDING DEMOGRAPHICAL, SERVICE, AND FUNDING INFORMATION, AND A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES FOR 84 OF THE SHELTERS ARE PROVIDED. (MHP)