NCJ Number
192486
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 7 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 1377-1404
Date Published
December 2001
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates a law school-based advocacy intervention to support battered women involved with the court system.
Abstract
In recent years, courts and battered women's advocates have collaborated to develop court-based advocacy programs to improve domestic violence victims' experiences within the justice system and to foster safety in their lives more generally. This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of an innovative variation of these legal advocacy programs in which law students work intensively with battered women to obtain protective orders. Compared to women who received standard court services, women working with law student advocates reported significantly less physical and psychological reabuse and marginally better emotional support after 6 weeks. These results suggest that reductions in reabuse can occur through interventions aimed at victims themselves. The results also suggest that law school advocacy programs in particular can make important contributions to victims' physical well-being and perceptions of emotional support. Given these benefits and the added advantage that law schools provide the programs to court systems and victims free of charge, the article describes continued development and evaluation of these types of advocacy interventions as "in the best interests of battered women and the justice system that serves them." Tables, notes, references