Massachusetts

State Overview

State Summary

The Commonwealth does have domestic violence legislation that includes same-sex relationships. Even though no separate statewide domestic violence or sexual assault law enforcement data collection system exists, 260 agencies currently report NIBRS data to the Crime Reporting Unit of the Massachusetts State Police. The State Police has added additional fields to what is required by NIBRS, including: offender tracking number, adding law enforcement officer as a victim and additional details, latitude and longitude of the incident location, address, city, and an additional location field that specifies additional offense characteristics. All of these additions are outlined in the  state manual. Law enforcement agencies that are not submitting incident-based data do not provide additional domestic violence or sexual assault characteristics.

Jane Doe, which functions as the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, collects summary data from domestic violence and sexual assault service providers. The organization surveyed all of its member organizations in 2001; the information collected resulted in a report outlining the delivery of services. All of the information is provided on the Jane Doe Web site. Jane Doe staff also chair the Governor's Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence Data Analysis Committee, which conducts research on domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse data collection systems in the state. In addition, the agency's Intimate Partner Homicide Program tracks deaths resulting from domestic violence as researched through the media and Internet. Information is entered into a database and profiles are presented on its Web site.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety collects sexual assault data from medical facilities and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). The Provider Sexual Crime Report (PSCR) is a data collection instrument that was created to help explain the volume and characteristics of rape and sexual assault in the state. Medical providers are required by law to fill out a PSCR for every sexual assault and rape in which the victim sought medical treatment. The PSCR provides detailed data on sexual crimes that commonly go unreported to police and as a result are not recorded or tracked in official statistics. The Office has also created the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Advisory Committee, composed of a multidisciplinary group of professionals from prosecution, law enforcement, public health, sexual assault and domestic violence communities, and judiciary and social service agencies. The Committee is charged with providing the Executive Office of Public Safety with expertise, guidance, and recommendations in the development of a statewide implementation plan and in the identification of need in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has a number of programs involved in domestic and sexual violence. The Bureau of Family and Community Health's Violence Prevention and Intervention Services collects summary information from agencies that receive funding. Agencies submit different information depending on the services they provide. The programs offered by the unit include:

• Batterer Intervention Program Services, which certifies agencies to provide services. Data are collected from the 22 certified programs in the state;



• Collaborative Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Minority (CARE) Communities, which creates networks of service agencies to provide sexual assault and domestic violence intervention, outreach, and community education within particular racial and ethnic communities;



• Gay Men's Domestic Violence Prevention, which funds outreach to gay, bisexual, and transgender male victims of domestic violence;



• Massachusetts Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Project, which funds three battered women's programs in rural areas of Western Massachusetts and strives to educate the public and professionals in that area about domestic violence;



• Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program, which funds 16 community-based programs across the state to provide particular ethnic communities with education and outreach services related to violence against women;



• Research and Evaluation, which tracks the incidence and prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in the Commonwealth;



• Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program, which trains, certifies, and supports specially trained registered nurses and physicians to provide care and forensic evidence collection to sexual assault victims entering designated emergency departments. Nurse examiners complete incident-based forms on each client seen;



• Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services (SAPSS), which supports statewide and regional training, educational materials, data reports, and collaborations to reduce sexual assaults and support survivors. Rape Crisis Centers funded through this program provide community and professional education on sexual assault prevention and intervention, as well as free direct services to survivors, their families, and friends. This program collects summary data from the centers and the Spanish hotline, LLamanos. These data are used for program evaluation and reports.

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which randomly surveys adults on a variety of health and risk factors, including sexual and domestic violence;



• Injury Surveillance System, which monitors various data sources in the state to analyze incidence, trends, risk factors and circumstances of injuries and disseminates this information to injury prevention advocates. Although sexual abuse information is collected, no information on the offender is collected and so domestic abuse cannot be identified. The data sources include:

  Vital Records Database Hospital Discharge Database Outpatient Observation Database Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System Weapon-Related Injury Surveillance System Medical Examiner Database

  Supplemental Homicide Reports Youth Risk Behavior Survey Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Fatality Analysis Reporting System Emergency Department Database

• Weapon-Related Injury Surveillance System, a component of the Injury Surveillance System, which monitors gunshot and stabbing injuries from hospital and health care center annual reports.

The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance collects domestic violence data through two programs:

• Family Violence Homicide Record gathers domestic violence homicide information from various media sources. Staff peruse newspaper articles and conduct Internet searches and create narrative accounts of incidents. The information will eventually be included in a domestic violence database.



• Safety Assistance for Every Person Leaving Abuse Now (SAFEPLAN) is a court-based advocacy program that awards federal and state money to programs providing court-based advocacy. SAFEPLAN programs exist in 41 courts in 9 counties across the state. Court staff complete client intake forms, which are entered into the Office for Victims Assistance database.

The Massachusetts Department of Social Services is in the process of developing a new data collection system for basic information regarding the utilization of shelter and community-based services. Monthly reports of client demographics will be collected from service providers beginning in 2007. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Massachusetts Department of Education's Youth Risk Behavior Survey includes questions on dating violence. Conducted every other year, results are published and available on the Department of Education's Web site.

The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department collects information on emergency domestic violence restraining orders issued after court hours through the Judicial Response System. Each participating judge submits a log to the Administrative Office of the court that includes information on each case. These logs are entered into a case management system, which is used to tract domestic abuse complaints. The information is published in annual and quarterly reports. The District Court Department also tracks the number of abuse protection orders filed in every district. Currently, 62 courts submit monthly reports of summary counts of the cases filed and disposed for every case type. An automated system is being developed and will be implemented in 2007. This system will link restraining order registration with the case file.

State Projects

Available Reports

General Crime

• Executive Office of Public Safety. (Annual). Crime report.
• Massachusetts Department of Education. (Annual). 2001 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey results.

Domestic Violence

• Jane Doe Inc. (Annual). Massachusetts intimate partner homicide list narratives.
• Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance. (Annual). Program funding directory.
• Lyon, E., Bradshaw, J., and Menard, A. (2011).  Meeting survivors’ needs through non-residential domestic violence services and supports: Results of a multi-state study. NCJ 237328. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2008). Domestic violence counts 07: Executive summary for Massachusetts.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., and Visher, C. (2007).  Final report on the evaluation of the judicial oversight demonstration volume 2: Findings and lessons on implementation. NCJ 219383. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and Castro, J. (2007).  Final report on the evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Volume 1: The impact of JOD in Dorchester and Washtenaw County. NCJ 219382. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and Castro, J. (2007).  Report on the Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Volume 1: The impact of JOD in Dorchester and Washtenaw County. NCJ 219382. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and Castro, J. (2007).  Report on the Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Volume 2: Findings and Lessons on Implementation. NCJ 219383. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and Castro, J. (2007).  Report on the Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Volume 3: Findings from Focus Groups with JOD Victims and Offenders. NCJ 219384. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and Castro, J. (2007).  Report on the Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Volume 4: Findings Report on Survey Methodology. NCJ 219385. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2007). Domestic violence counts: Executive summary for Massachusetts.
• Newmark, L., DeStefano, C. D., Harrell, A., Zweig, J., Brooks, L., and Schaffer, M. (2007).  Final report on the evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration volume 3: Findings from focus groups with JOD victims and offenders. NCJ 219384. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Dutton, M. A., Goodman, L. and Schmidt, R. J. (2006).  Development and validation of a coercive control measure for intimate partner violence. NCJ 214438. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Friedman, D. H., Raymond, J., Greene, C., McGah, J., Brown, E., Tripp, J., and Levine, H. (2006).  Prevention at work: Homelessness Prevention Initiative (HPI) interim evaluation report. The Center for Social Policy.
• Wilson, D. and Klein, A. (2006).  A longitudinal study of a cohort of batterers arraigned in a Massachusetts district court 1995 to 2004. NCJ 215346. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.



• Davis, R. L. (2005).  A domestic violence research tool.
• Friedman, D. H., McGah, J., Tripp, J., Kahan, M., Witherbee, N., and Carlin, A. (2005).  Partners in prevention: Community-wide homelessness prevention in Massachusetts and the United States. The Center for Social Policy.
• Kahan, M. (2005).  Women and homelessness in Massachusetts. The Center for Social Policy.
• Yoshioka, M. R., Dang, Q., Shewmangal, N., Chan, C., and Tan, C. I. (2005).  Asian family violence report: A study of the Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, South Asian, and Vietnamese communities in Massachusetts. Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence.
• Bocko, S., Cicchetti, C. A., Lempicki, L., and Powell, A. (2004).  Restraining order violators, corrective programming and recidivism. Massachusetts Trial Court Office of the Commissioner of Probation.
• Enos, V. P., Linden, J. A., Tieszan, L, Bernstein, J. and Brown, J. (2004).  Intervention to improve documentation of intimate partner violence in medical records. NCJ 207146. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Salomon, A., Bassuk, E., Browne, A., Bassuk, S. S., Dawson, R., and Huntington, N. (2004).  Secondary data analysis on the etiology, course, and consequences of intimate partner violence against extremely poor women. NCJ 199714. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Administrative Office of the Trial Court. (2003).  Progress and challenges: Viewpoints on the trial court's response to domestic violence.
• Apsler, R., Cummins, M. R., and Carl, S. (2003). Perceptions of the police by female victims of domestic partner violence. Violence Against Women, 9 (11): 1318 - 1335.
• Hotaling, G. T. and Buzawa, E. S. (2003).  Victim satisfaction with criminal justice case processing in a model court setting. NCJ 195668. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.



• Spence, D. L. (2003).  Brockton, Massachusetts, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201869. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Apsler, R., Cummins, M. R., and Carl, S. (2002). Fear and expectations: Differences among female victims of domestic violence who come to the attention of the police. Violence and Victims, 17 (4): 445 - 453.
• Harrell, A., Newmark, L., Visher, C., and DeStefano, C. (2002).  Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative: Implementation strategies and lessons. NCJ 220872. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Salomon, A., Bassuk, S. S., and Huntington, N. (2002). Relationship between intimate partner violence and the use of addictive substances in poor and homeless single mothers. Violence Against Women, 8 (7), 785 - 815.
• Apsler, R., Carl, S., and Cummins, M. R. (2001).  Locally initiated research partnership: The Framingham, Massachusetts Police Department and Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc.. NCJ 187103. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Bassuk, E., Dawson, R., Huntington, N., Salomon, A., Bassuk, S. S., and Browne, A. (2001). Secondary data analysis on the etiology, course and consequences of intimate partner violence against extremely poor women. NCJ 188507. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Chaiken, M. R., Boland, B., Maltz, M. D., Martin, S., and Targonski, J. (2001).  State and local change and the Violence Against Women Act. NCJ 191186. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• DeStefano, C., Harrell, A., Newmark, L., and Visher, C. (2001).  Evaluation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative: Baseline and implementation report. NCJ 220871. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Isaac, N. E. and Enos, V. P. (2001).  Documenting domestic violence: How health care providers can help victims. NCJ 188564. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Meschede, T., Sokol, B., Raymond, J., Friedman, D. H., Sullivan, N., Kahan, M., Ma, S., Faris, M., and Silvestri, B. (2001).  Hard numbers, hard times: Homeless individuals in Massachusetts emergency shelters, 1999 - 2003. The Center for Social Policy.
• Jane Doe Inc. (2001).  Voices of survival: The economic impacts of domestic violence: A blueprint for action.
• Apsler, R., Carl, S., and Cummins, M. R. (2000). Locally initiated research partnership: The Framingham, Massachusetts Police Department and Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc. NCJ 187103. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Buzawa, E., Hotaling, G. T., Klein, A., and Byrne, J. (2000).  Response to domestic violence in a pro-active court setting. NCJ 181427. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Department of Public Health. (2000). Intimate partner violence in Massachusetts: Data sources and statistics through 1995.
• Isaac, N. E. and Enos, P. (2000).  Medical records as legal evidence of domestic violence. NCJ 184530. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Spence, D. L. (2000).  Brockton, Massachusetts, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201869. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Browne, A., Salomon, A., and Bassuk, S. S. (1999). Impact of recent partner violence on poor women's capacity to maintain work. Violence Against Women, 5 4: 393 - 426.
• Linares, L. O., Groves, B. M., Greenberg, J., Bronfman, E., Augustyn, M., and Zuckerman, B. (1999). Restraining orders: A frequent marker of adverse maternal health. Pediatrics, 104 249 - 257.
• Massachusetts Trial Court Office of the Commissioner of Probation. (1999). Serial Batterers.
• Peace at Home. (1999).  Homicides related to intimate partner violence in Massachusetts 1991 - 1995.
• Thompson, M. P., Saltzman, L. P., and Bibel, D. B. (1999). Applying NIBRS data to the study of intimate partner violence: Massachusetts as a case study. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 15(2).
• Whitney, P. and Davis, L. (1999). Child abuse and domestic violence in Massachusetts: Can practice be integrated in a public child welfare setting? Child Maltreatment, 4(2), 158-166.
• The Center for Social Policy. (1997).  In harm's way? Domestic violence, AFDC receipt, and welfare reform in Massachusetts.
• Holmes, W. M. and Headley, T. (1995).  Cambridge Police Department Operation Safe Home. NCJ 157408. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.



• Holmes, W. M., Kohl, R., Brensilver, D., and Kaufman, C. (1995).  Domestic violence training: Strategy and tactics. NCJ 157406. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

Sexual Assault

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (Annual). Rape and sexual assault in Massachusetts: Annual fact sheet on rape crisis support services delivered by SAPSS-funded programs.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (Annual). Rape and sexual assault in Massachusetts: Annual fact sheet on sexual assault incidents reported to SAPSS-funded programs.
• Knight, R. A. and Thornton, D. (2007).  Evaluating and improving risk assessment schemes for sexual recidivism: A long-term follow-up of convicted sexual offenders. NCJ 217618. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.



• Burgess, A. W. (2006).  Elderly victims of sexual abuse and their offenders. NCJ 216550. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Fallon, R., Lawrence, S., and Penman, S. (2006).  Understanding sexual victimization: Using medical provider data to describe the nature and context of sexual crime in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety.
• Nugent-Borakove, M. E., Fanflik, P., Troutman, D., Johnson, N., Burgess, A., O'Conner, A. L. (2006).  Testing the efficacy of SANE/SART programs: Do they make a difference in sexual assault arrest and prosecution outcomes? NCJ 214252. US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.



• Kilpatrick, D. G. and Ruggiero, K. J. (2003).  Rape in Massachusetts: A report to the state. National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (1999).  Sexual assault in Massachusetts 1988 - 1997: Findings from publicly-funded rape crisis centers and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health.  Adolescent suicidal behaviors and sexual assault. Findings from the 1997 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Research and Policy Analysis Unit. Understanding sexual victimization: Using medical provider data to describe the nature and context of sexual crime in Massachusetts.

Violence Against Women

• Governor's Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence. (2005).  Summaries of statewide data sources relevant to sexual and domestic violence, and child sexual abuse.
• Jane Doe, Inc. (2003).  Massachusetts domestic violence and sexual assault service delivery trends and analysis.
• Jane Doe, Inc. (2002).  Jane Doe, Inc. annual data survey results (July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001).
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (2000).  Teen dating violence findings from the 1997 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Sample Data Collection Forms

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Statistical Analysis Center collects sexual assault information using this form:

•  Provider Sexual Crime Report

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Programs Division collects summary statistics from Violence Against Women Act grantees using this form:

•  Quarterly Progress Report

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety Programs Division also collects the form required by the US Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women:

•  Annual Progress Report for STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program
•  Instructions for Annual Progress Report for STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collects these forms from certified batterer intervention programs:

•  Adult Intake Form
•  Adult Discharge Form

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collects this form from rape crisis centers, completed for each victim:

•  Rape Crisis Data Form

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collects this form from service providers, completed for each victim:

•  New Individual Counseling and Advocacy Client Demographics

The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department collects this form from local family courts, outlining the complaint and the action taken:

•  Judicial Response System Log Sheet

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) complete 2 forms for the Department of Health; an incident form and a beeper log:

•  Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit
•  SANE Pager/Beeper Log

The Office of the Attorney General collects information on victims applying for compensation using this form:

•  Application for Crime Victim Compensation

Available Data

General Crime

• Department of Public Health. (Annual). Hospital Summary Utilization Data Files.
• Department of Public Health. (Annual). Injuries to Massachusetts Residents.
• Department of Public Health. (Annual). Weapon Injury Data.
• Massachusetts Court System. (Annual). Trial Court Case Statistics.
• Massachusetts Crime Reporting Unit. (Annual). Statewide Crime Data.
• Massachusetts Crime Reporting Unit. (Annual). Search Town Crime Data.
• Massachusetts Crime Reporting Unit. (Annual). Search NIBRS Offense Data, by month and town.
• Massachusetts Crime Reporting Unit. (Annual). NIBRS Data Converted to Summary, by month and town.
• Massachusetts State Police. (Annual). Crime Report.
• Massachusetts State Police. (Annual). Searchable Summary UCR and arrest data.

Domestic Violence

• Jane Doe, Inc. (Annual). Massachusetts Intimate Partner Homicide List Narratives.
• Massachusetts Court System. (Annual). Abuse Prevention Orders by District
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) Detailed State Tables.
• Friedman, D. H., Raymond, J., and Greene, C. (2005).  Homelessness Prevention Initiative Year One Summary Data. The Center for Social Policy.
• The Center for Social Policy. (2004).  Homelessness Prevention Initiative Interim Grantee Data.
• Jane Doe, Inc. (2002). Health Care and Domestic Violence Statistics.
• Jane Doe, Inc. (2002). 2001 Massachusetts Domestic Violence Statistics.
• Boston Police Department. (1994). Boston Police Department Domestic Violence Research Project, 1993-1994. NACJD Study No. 6483.

Sexual Assault

• Jane Doe, Inc. (2006).  2005 Rape/Sexual Assault Statistics.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) Detailed State Tables.
• University of Massachusetts Poll. (2003).  Child sexual abuse and public opinion in three Massachusetts communities.
• Prentky, R. and Knight, R. (1994). Classification of Rapists in Massachusetts, 1980-1990. NACJD Study No. 9976.
• Prentky, R. and Knight, R. (1985). Dangerous Sex Offenders: Classifying, Predicting, and Evaluating Outcomes of Clinical Treatment in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 1982-1985. NACJD Study No. 8985.

Links to State Agencies and Resources

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety
• Massachusetts State Police
• Massachusetts Crime Reporting Unit
• Violence Against Women Act Advisory Committee
• Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
• Peace at Home
• Wellesley Centers for Women
• Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance
• Massachusetts Department of Social Services
• Massachusetts Department of Education's Youth Risk Behavior Survey
• Massachusetts Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership
• New England Learning Center for Women in Transition
• Men's Resource Center for Change
• Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department
• Center for Social Policy
• Family Nonviolence
• Family Justice Center of Boston