Court compliance as a predictor of postadjudication recidivism for domestic violence offenders

Examining the Impact of Jail Sanctions on Recidivism for Domestic Violence Probationers

There has been a growth of domestic violence courts aimed at increasing offender accountability and victim safety. Although research has examined the effectiveness of these courts compared to typical court processing on recidivism, little is known about the mechanism of judicial accountability. Specifically, judicial review hearings, in which judges have discretion on whether and how to sanction for noncompliance, are common in these courts. This study examines whether incarceration sanctions for noncompliance affect recidivism among a sample of 347 probation review hearings in a Midwestern domestic violence court. Using logistic regression and survival analysis, we find that jail sanctions do not impact likelihood of recidivating but do result in significantly shorter periods of time until recidivating. The findings also signify the importance of addressing substance abuse issues in the prevention of recidivism. Further implications of the findings are discussed.

Examining Factors Associated with Stalking-Related Fears Among Men and Women Stalked by Male and Female Acquaintances

This study examines experiences of acquaintance stalking victims (n = 389), recruited from a community sample, by victim and stalker gender and explores factors associated with three measures of fear (fear of harm, perceived capability of stalker to harm, and fear of significant life impact). There were five main findings from this study: (a) although research suggests ex-partner stalkers are the most threatening, assaultive, and harassing stalkers, particularly for women, this study shows that a significant number of acquaintance stalking victims experience high levels of fear, threats, life interference, and assault; (b) women had higher stalking-related fear levels and a greater belief that their stalker was capable of harming them regardless of stalker gender, while men stalked by females were least concerned about harm; (c) close to one-quarter of victims had one unknown background factor and one-third indicated not knowing about two or more background factors suggesting variation in the level of victim knowledge about acquaintance stalkers; (d) the number of threats, stalker history of violence to others, the belief that the stalker does not care about severe consequences, and a greater number of unknown stalker background factors were associated with higher stalking-related fear levels and an increased perception that the stalker was capable of harm; and, (e) higher concern about a significant life impact from the stalking was associated with forced confrontations, believing the stalker wanted revenge, victim vulnerability, proxy stalking, and technology facilitated stalking. Future research is needed to better understand the dynamics of acquaintance stalking, particularly with regard to how close or distant the stalker was to the victim. Considering victim and stalker gender dynamics in acquaintance stalking may be important for safety planning and risk assessment.

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Involving the Deaf Population

There has been an increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) research regarding the deaf population; however, no studies to date obtained data directly from members of the deaf population who disclose IPV perpetration. This community-based participatory research study explored the social context of IPV perpetration involving the deaf population through interviews with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals who self-identified as perpetrating either physical or sexual abuse in an intimate relationship where at least one partner was deaf. Through semi-structured interviews using video relay, an interdisciplinary research team, which included deaf investigators, explored questions which included IPV triggers, types of IPV, weapon use, childhood victimization, and interactions with first responders and response systems (e.g., criminal justice, medical). The types of IPV abuse, resulting injuries, and systems used are discussed. The team collectively identified key elements of abuse and their relationships to each other through concept mapping of each interview. Through a method of constant comparison, we identified several themes: intergenerational transmission of violence, fund of information concerns, communication barriers with family and friends and resulting frustration, and help-seeking challenges. Many of these themes are specific to the deaf population, illustrating the need for continued research to understand IPV in diverse communities. Findings are compared with IPV trends in the general (hearing) population, and prompt concerns that universal IPV interventions may not effectively address the needs of the deaf population. Recommendations for diversifying screening efforts, modifying screening tools, and tailoring interventions to better address IPV involving deaf and hard-of-hearing populations are discussed.

Stalking: A Multidimensional Framework for Assessment and Safety Planning

Despite the high prevalence of stalking and the risk of harm it poses to victims, arrest rates, prosecutions, and convictions for stalking continue to be low in the United States. The overall goal of this article is to introduce a multidimensional framework of stalking that adds to the current literature by (1) providing a conceptual framework consistent with legal elements of many stalking statutes to facilitate assessment, communication, documentation, and safety planning for stalking several victims; (2) introducing a more systematic way of assessing course of conduct and the context of fear in stalking situations in order to increase the understanding of cumulative fear for stalking victims; (3) emphasizing the aspects of stalking harm that go beyond violence and that show how harm from stalking accumulates over time including life sabotage; and (4) discussing 12 risk factors derived from the overall multidimensional framework that can be used to describe the big picture of stalking and to facilitate safety planning for victims. Implications for future research are discussed.