The efficacy of a police-advocacy intervention for victims of domestic violence: 12 month follow-up data

Abstract

The Domestic Violence Home Visit Intervention (DVHVI) provides advocate/police officer team home visits following a domestic dispute. Women (52 DVHVI and 55 controls) were interviewed at 1, 6, and 12 months following a police reported domestic incident to assess repeat violence, service utilization, and symptoms. Women who received the DVHVI were more satisfied with the police and likely to call them to report a nonphysical domestic dispute in the 12 months following the initial incident than women in the comparison group. DVHVI participants were significantly more likely to use court-based services and seek mental health treatment for their children.