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This dissertation examines recidivism for domestic violence offenders under both traditional probation and specialized probation conditions. This research compares recidivism at a traditional probation locality (Riverside Criminal Justice Services) and a specialized domestic violence unit (Chesterfield Community Corrections Services) in order to determine the nature of recidivism at both localities. In addition, the research aims to identify individual risk factors which are statistically associated with recidivism. The research is based on secondary data and draws on offender criminal records generated by the Virginia State Police, as well the extraction of information from probation files at both localities. The multivariate models indicate that a higher degree of recidivism occurs at the specialized domestic violence unit, and that the experimental locality, along with a younger age, are consistently statistically significant predictors for recidivism. Less consistent but still statistically significant risk factors included positive drug tests, higher supervision levels, and unsuccessful probation completion. The implications of these findings, as well as policy recommendations and directions for future research are fully discussed.

Household violence that involves children can be complicated situations to understand and describe for police responding to calls. Police reports are important in prosecuting cases by informing and reminding criminal justice personnel of what occurred in incidents, and inconsistencies between reports and accounts by involved persons can result in credibility loss and case dismissal (Gregory et al. 2011). Little research has been conducted on the construction of police reports, particularly in domestic violence cases involving children. This study uses three years of domestic violence police reports from a sheriff office*s database in Florida to distinguish information recorded for three types of domestic violence cases: adults only, children involved, and children present. Using a social constructionist criminologist perspective, recorded information in regards to victims, offenders, and violence mentions differ by the level of children*s involvement in cases. Discrepancies in report quality and details are important to social policy, as officers* perceptions of the involved individuals and resources, such as medical attention and injury photography, are guided by social narratives and stereotypes that can be improved through awareness and training.

This thesis examines the limitations of the legal responses to ‘domestic violence’ from the perspective of two central arguments; first, domestic violence is a social problem, rather than one caused by the deviancy of particular individuals, and, secondly, legal and societal understandings display a misplaced focus on ‘violence’ as the defining feature of an abusive relationship. By failing to address the root social causes or comprehend the true dynamics of abusive relationships as a range of coercive and controlling strategies, incidents of mainly physical violence and the behaviour and personality of the abused woman become the social and legal focus. The thesis asserts that the root causes of domestic violence are the gendered expectations placed upon masculinity and femininity, thus explaining why it is women that are predominantly the victims. To refute the common misconception that women would exit an abusive relationship if they wanted to, a comparison is made between domestic violence and capture crimes such as kidnapping, and the range of social and psychological difficulties encountered by women as a result of the abusive relationship are used to support the claim that the sense of self, autonomy and decision-making ability of the victim is so undermined by the abuser’s tactics that they become entrapped in the abusive relationship. It is then argued that societal and legal misunderstandings of the dynamics and impact of the abuse lead to misinformed legal responses based upon the premise that women are able to safely report domestic violence and receive an adequate response, should they choose to do so. Bringing together critiques of the operation of the civil and criminal justice system in this context with the possibilities and limitations of the international human rights system, the thesis aims to demonstrate not just where the legal responses pertaining to domestic violence are limited, but also why. The research concludes that a legal approach to this problem which overlooks the root causes and over-emphasises isolated incidents of mainly physical violence does not and cannot work; the causes and impacts of domestic violence must be understood and addressed at a society-wide level.

The concepts of risk and safety are central to social work practice with survivors of violence against women, especially within the child protection system. Recent studies have highlighted how discrepancies between client and worker perceptions may create problematic conditions for developing effective intervention strategies (Dumbrill, 2006; Jenney, Alaggia, Mazzuca, & Redmond, 2005). In addition, tensions exist between movement toward improving worker-client interactions through collaboration and the use of standardized risk and safety assessments as a means of improving practice. The purpose of this research study was to explore how women’s narratives of domestic violence (DV), expressed within the context of child protection services (CPS), become translated into CPS workers’ assessments of risk and need for safety planning. Using Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), this qualitative study used focus group and interview data to explore how both workers and clients’ experiences of the process of risk assessment and safety planning influenced the course of the intervention. What emerged is that workers and clients held similar representations about the social construction/collective representation of woman abuse and the work of CPS. For both worker and client participants the concept of ‘doing the right thing’ presented itself as an over-arching theme. This theme implies that there is a perceived ‘right way’ of addressing DV cases within CPS work and enhances understanding about the ways in which social workers and clients interact. These findings illustrate how narrative structures shape interactions that take place within the context of care and prevention, manifesting themselves in complex ways that can lead to misunderstanding the impact on children, the (un) conscious subjugation of women victims, and the absence of dialogue about the role of men in addressing DV at a system level.

The concepts of risk and safety are central to social work practice with survivors of violence against women, especially within the child protection system. Recent studies have highlighted how discrepancies between client and worker perceptions may create problematic conditions for developing effective intervention strategies (Dumbrill, 2006; Jenney, Alaggia, Mazzuca, & Redmond, 2005). In addition, tensions exist between movement toward improving worker-client interactions through collaboration and the use of standardized risk and safety assessments as a means of improving practice. The purpose of this research study was to explore how women’s narratives of domestic violence (DV), expressed within the context of child protection services (CPS), become translated into CPS workers’ assessments of risk and need for safety planning. Using Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), this qualitative study used focus group and interview data to explore how both workers and clients’ experiences of the process of risk assessment and safety planning influenced the course of the intervention. What emerged is that workers and clients held similar representations about the social construction/collective representation of woman abuse and the work of CPS. For both worker and client participants the concept of ‘doing the right thing’ presented itself as an over-arching theme. This theme implies that there is a perceived ‘right way’ of addressing DV cases within CPS work and enhances understanding about the ways in which social workers and clients interact. These findings illustrate how narrative structures shape interactions that take place within the context of care and prevention, manifesting themselves in complex ways that can lead to misunderstanding the impact on children, the (un) conscious subjugation of women victims, and the absence of dialogue about the role of men in addressing DV at a system level.

Domestic violence occurs throughout the United States and has been cited as a major social and health problem, yet most studies have not focused on domestic violence in rural areas. In order to understand if rural women are able to receive the services they need, I propose to answer five research questions using data from Illinois: (1) Does the availability of services for victims of domestic violence vary by the degree of rurality of the county? (2) Are measures of social disorganization (poverty, racial heterogeneity, and residential stability) at the county level correlated with the availability of victim services for urban and rural counties? (3) Are measures of cultural factors at the county level correlated with the availability of victim services for urban and rural counties? (4) Is domestic violence and victim need, as reported by the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and as measured by orders of protection, as prevalent in rural counties as in urban counties? (5) Do measures of rurality (such as population density), social disorganization measures at the county and place level, rural cultural factors, or victim need better determine the current availability of services? The main goal of my research is to analyze whether domestic violence emergency services are available where the greatest need is located. I will analyze the Uniform Crime Reports domestic violence counts and the distribution of orders of protections from 39 counties in Illinois to analyze the societal and cultural level variables that may predict need for services and availability of services. From there I will analyze the distribution of domestic violence programs, hospitals, police, and sheriff's offices.

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No abstract available / Dissertation (MA (Theology) : Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

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