Screening for Domestic Violence in Public Welfare Offices: An Analysis of Case Manager and Client Interactions

• NCJ Number: 221240
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 5-28
• Author(s): Taryn Lindhorst; Marcia K. Meyers; Erin Casey
• Date Published: January 2008
• Length: 24 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study reviews findings from current research on the factors that improve the likelihood that women will reveal their domestic violence experiences to service personnel, and uses the guidelines drawn from this review to evaluate domestic violence screening practices in public welfare offices.

Abstract

The findings from this study raise concerns about the capacity of welfare offices to appropriately screen for the safety concerns of battered women. The findings indicate that domestic violence screening rarely occurred in four States which had adopted the Family Violence Option (FVO), under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, emphasizing that battered women should be able to obtain services through the welfare system, even if they were unable to comply with new welfare reform regulations as a result of the abuse, or similar policies. Taken as a whole, the absence of screening is notable across a diverse group of workers, geographical settings, and differing political environments. In summary, it may not be possible for welfare offices to serve two contradictory missions, that of supporting women in their efforts to end abuse while simultaneously attempting to decrease welfare caseloads. Without stringent mandates to focus on safety and support for battered women coupled with administrative accountability for both these activities, battered women may be safer continuing their own strategies of nondisclosure to welfare workers. The public welfare office is a critical location for securing resources for impoverished battered women and children. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from current research on the factors that improve the likelihood that women will reveal their domestic violence experiences to service personnel and use the guidelines drawn from this review to evaluate domestic violence screening practices occurring in interviews with workers and clients in 11 welfare offices in 4 States. Tables, figure, notes, and references