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In Our Voice: Survivors’ Recommendations for Change

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Abstract

Seven focus groups with a diverse group of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors (n = 39) explored how to improve survivor satisfaction, empowerment, and safety related to their court-based experiences. These occurred in three jurisdictions which all supported community coordinated responses to IPV. This paper contributes to the literature by asking survivors about existing service gaps and how helping professionals might enhance court operations. Analysis was conducted using a framework approach based on the socio-ecological model. Findings suggest four areas worthy of improvement: Logistics, Emotional Enhancements, Society’s Perception of IPV, and Court Procedures. The recommendations for change are neither expensive nor complicated; rather, modest changes may result in greater victim satisfaction with the courts.

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Author Note

This project was supported by Award 2006-WG-BX-0007 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Also supported, in part, by NIMH grant: K01MH075965-01 (PI, C. Cerulli). Special thanks to S.A.F.E.R., a group of committed survivors who advocate for reform who influenced this study and assisted with recruitment. Additional thanks to the University of Rochester Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization for reviewing this paper. Thanks to Christina Raimondi for administrative support and the community survivors in three communities that shared their thoughts and opinions. The authors also wish to thank Neil McLaughlin for feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript, and Jennifer Thompson Stone for editorial assistance.The opinions, findings, and conclusions of this article are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Government, or the Department of Justice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Catherine Cerulli & Christina Raimondi

  2. School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Nicole Trabold

  3. Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Catherine L. Kothari

  4. Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Melissa E. Dichter

  5. Alternatives for Battered Women, Inc, Rochester, NY, USA

    Janine Lucas

  6. Rochester, NY, USA

    Alex Cobus

  7. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Karin V. Rhodes

Authors
  1. Catherine Cerulli
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  2. Nicole Trabold
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  3. Catherine L. Kothari
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  4. Melissa E. Dichter
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  5. Christina Raimondi
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  6. Janine Lucas
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  7. Alex Cobus
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  8. Karin V. Rhodes
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Correspondence to Catherine Cerulli.

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Cerulli, C., Trabold, N., Kothari, C.L. et al. In Our Voice: Survivors’ Recommendations for Change. J Fam Viol 30, 75–83 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9657-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9657-7

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