Learning How to Stop Domestic Violence

Carla Stover, Ph.D.,Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center

Domestic violence is the greatest cause of injury-related emergency room visits for women in the United States. Dr. Stover’s study focused on the role of a law enforcement and community-based advocacy program in increasing immediate safety interventions and reducing repeat violence. Her study demonstrated some positive changes among women who participated in the program.

Highlighted Study Findings

Dr. Stover evaluated the efficacy of a collaborative relationship established between the Yale Child Study Center and the New Haven Police Department that provided home visits as an intervention to prevent further incidents of domestic violence after an initial police engagement. Her study found that women who previously were victims of domestic violence and participated in the intervention program, as compared to a control group of women who did not participate in the intervention program, demonstrated a number of positive behavioral changes. In particular, these women became more comfortable in their interactions with police and reached out to police more readily before a domestic incident escalated to violence. In addition, these women were more likely to engage positively with court-based advocacy and legal services, and initiated counseling for their children.