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National Evaluation of the LEAA Family Violence Demonstration Program - Final Report

NCJ Number
95234
Author(s)
J Fagan; E Friedman; S Wesler; V Lewis
Date Published
1984
Length
315 pages
Annotation
The history and operations of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) Family Violence Program are explored, and demonstration project characteristics -- organizational and staffing patterns, funding levels, intervention designs, and services provided -- are examined.
Abstract
Case characteristics -- victim and assailant demographics, relationship histories, violence histories and the incident leading to project contact -- are also explored. Victims and assailants were young, disproportionately minority, and mostly high school graduates; they were usually cohabitating, though nearly 18 percent lived apart. The relationships were usually of short duration (2 - 5 years), although that was mediated by the victim's age. Exposure to violence during childhood was found to be consistently strong predictor of the severity of assailants' violence. Drug or alcohol use was not a strong predictor of the severity or extent of violence; however, the report of substance abuse as a problem in the relationship was associated with severity of violence. Services requested by victims' were mediated by several factors: victims' background and abuse history factors, the projects' service emphasis, and the options abailable. The experiences of the project identify the essential elements of a community wide response to family violence. Shelter is the central and critical element; justice system actions are also central, as are mandatory responses. These elements cannot occur without strong community leadership. Approximately 95 tables and 145 references are included.