NCJ Number
208228
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: 2004 Pages: 35-51
Date Published
2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This U.S. study was designed to determine the nature and extent to which domestic-violence programs use security technology to protect battered women.
Abstract
The survey sample consisted of 500 domestic-violence programs randomly selected from the 1999 membership directory of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The questionnaire items measured the extent to which security technology was used to protect battered women, the types of technology being used, the existence of selection criteria to determine who could use the technology, and demographic information on the program's structure, its funding and referral sources, service area and population size, and program budget. If a domestic-violence program did not use security technology or had discontinued its use, respondents were asked why. Of the 84 percent of the respondents who reported they were using security technology at the time of the survey, the most frequently used type was cellular phones, followed by surveillance cameras at the shelter or safe house (33.3 percent) and portable panic alarms (31.8 percent). The majority of the programs relied on private donations to provide the security technology. Urban programs with annual budgets of $100,000 or more were most likely to be using technology. There were few, if any, restrictions on the use of security technology by battered women. There was little collaboration between domestic-violence service providers and criminal justice agencies regarding the funding or use of security technology to protect battered women. Suggestions are offered for further research. 9 tables, 34 notes, and appended questionnaire