Factors associated with engagement in a police-advocacy home-visit intervention to prevent domestic violence

Abstract

This study examines factors related to engagement in the services offered by police officer-advocate teams on the basis of police and clinical records for 301 female victims referred to the Domestic Violence Home Visit Intervention (DVHVI) program. The authors find that the severity of intimate partner violence charges and ethnicity of the victim, advocate, and police officer are all significantly related to engagement in the DVHVI, with Hispanic women served by Hispanic advocate-officer teams more engaged in services than African American or Caucasian women. The data suggest that this intervention model may be particularly beneficial for Hispanic victims of intimate partner violence when implemented by a Spanish-speaking officer-advocate team.