Legal Research

Study: Intimate Violence Responses Have Limited Impact

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime and Justice News, January 22, 2009.

"Coordinated community responses to intimate partner violence do not reduce recidivism to the degree previously accepted by advocates, say new studies published in the journal Criminology & Public Policy. Te research did suggest potential avenues for success among certain sub-groups. Studies found that coordinated responses to intimate partner violence in the form of increasing offender accountability through the courts failed to alter offender attitudes and behavior. Research was conducted in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Michigan."

"The research, which is not available publicly online, was done by Christy A. Visher of the University of Delaware, Adele Harrell of the Urban Institute, and Lisa Newmark of George Mason University, along with Jennifer Yahner at the Urban Institute. Richard Peterson of the New York City Criminal Justice Agency argued in the journal that the time has come for the scientific community to accept that attempts to reduce intimate partner violence are of very little use. He and colleagues suggested that more effort should be directed toward the prevention of initial intimate partner violence offenses, rather than the reduction of recidivism. The journal is published by Florida State University..."

Criminology & Public Policy

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on January 22, 2009 (boomark / email).