Percent of Non-Intimate Family Members Included in
State Domestic Violence Arrests
|
State |
Domestic
Violence Crimes Involving Non-Intimate Family Members |
|
Iowa |
4% |
|
Mississippi |
5% |
|
Michigan |
5.3%* |
|
New
Jersey |
12% |
|
Nevada |
13.4% |
|
Georgia |
14.6% |
|
Florida |
30% |
|
Connecticut |
31% |
|
Texas |
32.6% |
*An
additional 7.6% listed as “other.”
Batterer
Intervention Programs
When does an
80% success rate equal 40%?
When
typically 50% fail to show or to complete the batterer program.
Given
low rate of completion,
the
principle function of batterer programs is to identify referred abusers who do
not attend as ordered. Program content is irrelevant.
Yet studies fail to look at what happens to program drop outs and no shows. If referring agencies take immediate counter measures, victim safety may be actually enhanced by high program “failure” rates!
Batterer Intervention Programs
“While no differences were found (between experimental and control groups), a closer look revealed that completing the batterers’ program lessened the likelihood of VOPs and rearrests for both those in the experimental and control (voluntary participants) conditions. However, this gain was offset by the increased likelihood of VOPs and arrests that were associated with assignment into the counseling group.”*
|
Abusers |
Number |
Percent |
|
Did
Not Attend Any Program |
70 |
30.4% |
|
Terminated
for absences, violations |
39 |
17% |
|
Total
Non-Completers |
109 |
47.4% |
|
Completed
26 week program |
115 |
50% |
|
Missing
data |
6 |
2.6% |
“(I)t is critical to bear in mind that mandating classes is also associated with higher rates of rearrest for men who are required to take these classes.... In other words, we found an increased likelihood of arrests where men assigned to counseling failed to attend.”
*Feder, L. & Forde, D. (June 20,2000). A Test of the Efficacy of Court-Mandated Counseling for Domestic Violence Offenders: The Broward Experiment, National Institute of Justice.
When: 1992
N=1,000
Time Period for Re-Abuse: One year after Order
issuance
Re-Abuse: 17.3% arrested for
violation of order (includes all domestic violence crimes against same victim
and order violations, state has mandatory arrest law for order violations)
Conclusion: Vast majority of victims not re-abused by respondent, restraining orders protect most victims of domestic violence who secure them.
* Isaac, N., Cochran, D., Brown, M. & Adams, S. (1994).
Men Who Batter. Archives of Family Medicine 3(1), 50-54.
Massachusetts Restraining Order Re-Abuse Study
|
Orders |
Number |
Per-cent |
Re-Abused |
Percent Re-Abused |
Ex Parte
|
1,000 |
100% |
173 |
17.3% |
|
Final Orders after 15 days |
630 |
63% |
173 |
27.5% |
|
After six months |
315 |
31.5% |
173 |
54.9% |
Rhode Island
Restraining Orders’
|
Protective Orders |
Number |
|
Petitions |
2,022 |
|
Denied
at Initial Hearing |
184 |
|
Denied
at “Final” hearing |
75 |
|
Pending
(not served, etc.) |
189 |
|
Total
Ex Parte Orders |
1,574 |
|
Orders
Dismissed at Final Hearing |
1,089 |
|
Orders
Retained after 30 days |
485 |
___(June
1, 2001). Rhode Island Victims’ Rights Needs Assessment, Waltham, MA:
BOTEC Analysis Corporation
Victim Domestic Violence
Reporting Rates:
54%
Domestic Violence reported to police between 1993 and 1999*
--
28% reported Victims between 12-15
--
39% reported Victims age 50 or over
--57%
reported Victims 25-49
*
National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Arrest Versus Victim Reports of Re-Abuse
|
Population Studies |
Jurisdiction |
Time Period |
Official Record of Re-Abuse |
Victim Report of Re-Abuse |
|
Arrest Sample[i] |
Charlotte, NC |
6 months |
16.5% New DV Arrest |
61.5% Injuries, threats or property damage |
|
Arrest Sample[ii] |
Eastern Norfolk County, MA |
12 months |
22.1% Re-arrested for DV Assault |
49.2% Re-assaulted |
|
Civilly Restrained
Batterers[iii] |
Denver & Boulder, Co. |
6 months |
4% Contempt filings |
75% Illegal contact 21% Stalking |
|
Batterer Treatment
Sample[iv] |
Broward County, FL |
12 months |
5.3% arrested for DV (same victim) |
46% New physical abuse |
|
Batterer Treatment Sample[v] |
Pittsburgh, PA., Dallas & Houston, TX. & Denver, CO. |
15 months |
10% Arrested for DV |
51% Re-assaulted or threatened |
[i] Hirschel, J., Hutchinson,
I., Dean, C., Kelley, J., & Pesackis, C. (1991), op. cit.
[ii] Buzawa, E., Hotaling, G.,
Klein, A., & Byrnes, J. (July 1999) op. cit.
[iii] Harrell, A., Smith, B.
& Newmark, L. (1993). Court Processing and the Effects of Restraining
Orders for Domestic Violence Victims. Washington D.C.: Urban Institute.
[iv] Feder, L. & Forde, D.
(June 2000). A Test of the Efficacy of Court-Mandated Counseling for
Domestic Violence Offedners: The Broward Experiment. Washington D.C.:
National Institute of Justice.
[v] Gondolf, E. (December
1997). Patterns of Re-assault in Batterer Programs, Indiana, PA: Mid-Atlantic
Addiction Training Program.