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Are you a victim?

If you are a victim of intimate partner violence, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline Exit Notice or call 1–800–779–SAFE (7233), 1–800–787–3224 (TTY).

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NIJ regularly publishes an updated Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, which includes among sections on:

  • Arrest and Prosecution.
  • Offender Interventions.
  • Courts and the Criminal & Civil Justice Systems.
  • Protection Orders.

Practical Implications of Research

Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research (2009) describes to law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges the implications of research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence.

Protections Order May Reduce Intimate Partner (Domestic) Violence

Protection orders may reduce recidivism (an offender's return to crime after sanctioning or intervention for a previous crime) if the orders are tailored to victims' needs and used in conjunction with vigorous prosecution and significant sanctioning of abusers.[1] Permanent protection orders are associated with a significant decrease in the risk of police-reported violence against women by their male intimate partners.[2]

Next section: Court Interventions May Not Be Effective in Preventing Future Intimate Partner (Domestic) Violence.

Notes

[1] Keilitz, S. "Specialization of Domestic Violence Case Management in the Courts: A National Survey." Final report to the National Institute of Justice, 2001, NCJ 186192.

[2] Holt, V.L., M.A. Kernic, T. Lumley, M.E. Wolf, and F.P. Rivara. "Civil Protection Orders and Risk of Subsequent Police-Reported Violence." Exit Notice. Journal of the American Medical Association 288 (2002): 589–594.

Date Entered: May 19, 2009