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Sequence and Timing of Three Community Interventions to Domestic Violence

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

Community responses to domestic violence typically involve the introduction of multiple interventions. Yet very little is known about the impact of the timing and sequencing of these interventions on community outcomes. A reason for this is the inherent limitations of traditional methods in social science. New methods are needed to understand the effect of varying the sequence and timing of interventions. This study responds to the issue by introducing system dynamics as a method for modeling community interventions. The paper presents a model of domestic violence cases moving through a criminal justice response, and uses the simulation model to evaluate the impact of implementing three interventions—mandatory arrest, victim advocacy, and changes in level of cooperation—on two system-level outcomes: improving offender accountability and increasing victim safety. Results illustrate the complex nature of these relationships. Implications for community practice and future research are also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported through by Center for Mental Health Services Research, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University; through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (P30 MH068579).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Peter S. Hovmand

  2. Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3136, USA

    David N. Ford

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  1. Peter S. Hovmand
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Correspondence to Peter S. Hovmand.

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Hovmand, P.S., Ford, D.N. Sequence and Timing of Three Community Interventions to Domestic Violence. Am J Community Psychol 44, 261–272 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-009-9264-6

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