NCJ Number
150706
Date Published
1992
Length
205 pages
Annotation
Massachusetts has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of women seeking restraining orders and in the number of women who are being killed by boyfriends or husbands.
Abstract
Statistics indicate that someone in Massachusetts is killed every 5 days because of domestic violence. In response, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General is attempting to play an active role in domestic violence prevention by focusing on passage of a stalking law and a law creating a statewide domestic violence registry. In addition, the Attorney General is cooperating with the Massachusetts Medical Society, the State Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Hospital Association to provide cross-disciplinary training to police officers, domestic violence advocates, physicians, and hospital emergency room personnel. Provisions of Massachusetts' Abuse Prevention Law and related statutes are summarized. Court forms and procedures and police guidelines relevant to abuse reporting and prevention are described. Consideration is also given to the emergency judicial response system in Massachusetts for domestic violence incidents, legal developments in domestic violence law, and clinical issues in domestic violence. Supplemental materials on domestic violence, battered women, stalking, warning signs of abuse, and the prosecution of domestic violence cases are provided. A list of resources pertinent to battered women, batterer treatment, legal and social services, and victim assistance is included. Tables and figures