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Kentucky

State Overview - State Summary - State Projects
Available Reports - Sample Data Collection Forms - Available Data - Links

State Overview

Domestic Violence Legislation:pdf documentYes (Chapter 403, Sections .715 - .785)
NIBRS Status:Testing
Additional Data Elements:No
Law Enforcement DV System:Incident-based
Service Provider DV System:Summary
Service Provider SA System:Summary


State Summary

The state definition of domestic violence only includes persons who are currently living together or who lived together in the past unless they share a common child, regardless of sex. Although the state is not NIBRS certified, some agencies in the state are certified to collect and report incident-based data, and law enforcement agencies submit data electronically to the Kentucky State Police. Currently 10 of the law enforcement agencies in the state are submitting incident-based data; the agencies submitting summary data are not required to submit any additional information on domestic or sexual violence incidents. No data elements are collected other than what are required by NIBRS, although the State Police are considering adding elements. The incident-based data are included in the Law Information Network of Kentucky (LINK) system, along with domestic violence protection orders. Data are published in an annual crime report and are available upon request.

The Kentucky Domestic Violence Association collects data from domestic violence programs monthly. Aggregate data are available from the Web site and upon request. The Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs collects service data from rape crisis centers quarterly. Data are available upon request.

All law enforcement agencies are required to submit domestic violence incident information to the Families and Children Cabinet of the Department of Community-based Services, Division of Protection and Permanency. This information is included in the State Police annual crime report.


State Projects

  • Domestic Violence Protective Order Project
    The University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women is continuing a study begun in 2005 with the support of the Kentucky Supreme Court. The primary aim of this study is to improve an understanding of how protective orders work for victims of intimage partner violence in the Commonwealth. The Center and Supreme Court are working collaboratively to access ten years of data on the issuance, service and denial of orders of protections, including criminal history data.


  • Victimization and Fear of Crime Among College Women
    In FY 2004, University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women undertook a research project with a primary aim to contribute to the safety of women on the campus of the University of Kentucky. Study investigators developed a survey instrument patterned after the one used for the National Violence Against Women Survey and the National College Women Sexual Victimization Survey and administered the instrument to over 1,000 female students to gather information about their fear of crime and victimization history. Those data were prepared in a report form for University of Kentucky's President and were used to inform a substantial campus safety effort that resulted in $1.25 million in funding for campus programs. In order to continue to link research to the campus safety efforts now spearheaded by the Division of Student Affairs/Women's Place, the University of Kentucky Police Department and others, in the spring of 2007, the Center conducted a replication of the Women's Safety Study. The 2007 replication surveyed 2000 female University of Kentucky students and 200 students from Kentucky State University.


  • Incarcerated Battered Women Study
    In 2006, the University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women began a study to explore the influence of offender gender and victim type (intimate, non-intimate or child) in the sentencing and parole board decisions in cases of intimate partner homicide in order to provide a descriptive analysis of the experience of battered women who kill intimate partner offenders. The study will also compare one state's experience with a statutory exemption from the violent offender statute for domestic violence victims. During 2007, the project team conducted comprehensive, on-site reviews of prison case records for 260 women and 260 men who are or have been incarcerated in a Kentucky prison for homicide, manslaughter or felony assault committed between 1999 and 2004.


  • Homicide and Domestic Violence: A Research Brief
    In 2006, the University of Kentucky's Center for Research on Violence Against Women completed data collection for a pilot study exploring homicide and intimate partner violence. Data were extracted from autopsy records associated with women whose cause of death was homicide in collaboration with the Medical Examiners Offices across Kentucky.



    • Available Reports

    General Crime (including domestic and sexual violence)

    Domestic Violence

    Sexual Assault

    Violence Against Women


    Sample Data Collection Forms

    The Kentucky Office of the Attorney General collects victim impact statements using these forms:

    The Kentucky Crime Victims Compensation Board collects information on victims using these forms:

    The University of Kentucky Survey Research Center conducted these surveys for the Intimate Partner Violence Surveillance Project until 2001:


    Available Data

    General Crime (including domestic and sexual violence)

    Domestic Violence

    Sexual Assault


    Links to State Agencies and Resources


    Local Services, Shelters and Hotlines

    • Ashland Area - Safe Harbor
    • Bowling Green Area - Barren River Area Safe Space
    • Elizabethtown Area - SpringHaven
    • Hazard Area - LKLP Safe House (Crisis Line: (800) 928-3131 - Business Line: (606) 439-1552)
    • Hopkinsville Area - Sanctuary
    • Lexington Area - Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program
    • Louisville Area - The Center for Women and Families
    • Maysville Area - Women's Crisis Center
    • Morehead Area - D.O.V.E.S. (Crisis Line: (800) 221-4361 - Business Line: (606) 784-6880)
    • Mount Vernon Area - Family Life Abuse Center (Crisis Line: (800) 755-5348 Business Line: (606) 256-9511 or (606) 256-2724)
    • Northern Kentucky Area - Women's Crisis Center
    • Owensboro Area - OASIS (Crisis Line: (800) 882-2873 Business Line: (270) 685-0260)
    • Paducah Area - Merryman House (Crisis Line: (800) 585-2686 Business Line: (270) 443-6282)
    • Prestonsburg Area - Big Sandy Family Abuse Center (Crisis Line: (800) 649-6605 - Business Line: (606) 285-9079)
    • Somerset Area - Bethany House Abuse Shelter (Crisis Line: (800) 755-2017 - Business Line: (606) 679-1553)