NCJ Number
111375
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1987) Pages: 265-279
Date Published
1987
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article reviews two studies which were undertaken to identify the victims of domestic abuse and focus on the critical relationship in which the rules of the legal system are imposed on the family.
Abstract
The two studies were carried out independently of one another. The Dane County, Wis., sample included 120 domestic abuse victims applying for temporary restraining orders. The Sacramento sample consisted of 600 victims of domestic violence and abuse who were assisted in filing for a temporary restraining order. In Wisconsin, a content analysis was conducted of the victim's petition for relief, participant observations of the court hearings were recorded, a 68-item domestic abuse inventory was administered to each victim following her court appearance, and a 128-item follow-up questionnaire and structured interview was given by telephone within 6 months. The instruments measured relationship factors such as marital status, number of years living together, number of children together, and current plan with respect to mate. It also measured abuse history, which focused on frequency, severity, and type of abuse. In the Sacramento study, a 25-item self-administered questionnaire and cover letter was sent to 600 victims, of which 144 victims responded giving basic demographic and abuse information. The most significant finding in both studies is a significant reduction in police contacts by the victims. 1 figure and 28 references.