Evaluation of the Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Initiative

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a significant issue impacting community members and utilizing law enforcement and judicial resources. In the United States, IPV-related homicide accounts for 2 out of every 5 murders. The U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office for Violence Against Women, has funded 4 sites, as part of the Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative (DVHPDI), to implement model programs that have the goal of reducing the rate of IPV related homicides. The National Institute of Justice has contracted with an evaluation team from Yale University and Michigan State University to examine the implementation process and impact of these model programs within the Demonstration Initiative sites. This evaluation seeks to draw critical findings and potential lessons learned from the combined experience of the sites including: 1) how the models are implemented in different sites; 2) barriers and facilitators to implementing the models; and 3) outcomes of the model delivery. The evaluation team will disseminate the findings with the goal of informing replication.
The evaluation will assess both process and impact outcomes. The process evaluation will assess: 1) the training and technical assistance provided to sites; 2) the implementation of the models in each site; and 3) characteristics of the service delivery systems. The impact evaluation will assess changes in: 1) collaboration among service sectors; 2) supervision and sanctions for offenders; 3) recidivism and re-victimization; 4) victim reported feelings of safety; 5) utilization of resources; and 6) nature of safety planning.
The goal of this supplement is to fund this evaluation in three comparison sites that will implement the same model programs but without the additional supports provided to those communities participating in the DVHPDI. These comparison sites will allow the evaluation to determine whether there are differential outcomes in the Demonstration Initiative (DI) sites when compared to typically-implementing sites. If the outcomes do differ between the DI and comparison sites, the process evaluation data will provide an understanding of which aspects of the implementation process may account from these differences.

This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

nca/ncf

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the Office on Violence Against Women's (OVW) Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative. During Phase I, 12 sites assessed their structures and processes for addressing domestic violence. In Phase II, up to six sites will implement their work plans to test changes to existing procedures, practices, and structures related to domestic violence homicide prevention. This evaluation will assess the processes and outcomes within and across sites. As this is an evaluation of models carried out by Phase II sites, the "subjects" are the six funded sites. The evaluation will be a utilization-focused developmental evaluation-"utilization-focused" in that the project will be done for and with primary intended users of the evaluation findings; "developmental" in that the intended use is development of domestic violence homicide prevention models.

The process evaluation will focus on the internal dynamics and actual operations of domestic violence homicide prevention programs at Phase II sites. This will be achieved primarily through the use of system dynamics modeling, which uses computer simulation to understand the behavior of complex systems over time. The outcome evaluation will examine the intended and unintended consequences of the prevention programs. This will be carried out largely through the use of multilevel modeling, which takes into account multiple sources of variation when estimating differences in outcomes between sites. System dynamics modeling within and across sites will progress through a series of iterative steps involving problem articulation, formulation of a dynamic hypothesis, development of a computer simulation model, validation and model testing, and policy design and recommendations. Multilevel modeling will take into account individual­ (victims and perpetrators), intimate partner relationship-, and site-level variables in estimation of between site variation in outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analyses will include an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the overall initiative, as well as sub-analyses comparing cost-effectiveness of individual sites whose prevention programs proved effective. ca/ncf

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the Office on Violence Against Women's (OVW) Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative. During Phase I, 12 sites assessed their structures and processes for addressing domestic violence. In Phase II, up to six sites will implement their work plans to test changes to existing procedures, practices, and structures related to domestic violence homicide prevention. This evaluation will assess the processes and outcomes within and across sites. As this is an evaluation of models carried out by Phase II sites, the "subjects" are the six funded sites. The evaluation will be a utilization-focused developmental evaluation-"utilization-focused" in that the project will be done for and with primary intended users of the evaluation findings; "developmental" in that the intended use is development of domestic violence homicide prevention models.

The process evaluation will focus on the internal dynamics and actual operations of domestic violence homicide prevention programs at Phase II sites. This will be achieved primarily through the use of system dynamics modeling, which uses computer simulation to understand the behavior of complex systems over time. The outcome evaluation will examine the intended and unintended consequences of the prevention programs. This will be carried out largely through the use of multilevel modeling, which takes into account multiple sources of variation when estimating differences in outcomes between sites. System dynamics modeling within and across sites will progress through a series of iterative steps involving problem articulation, formulation of a dynamic hypothesis, development of a computer simulation model, validation and model testing, and policy design and recommendations. Multilevel modeling will take into account individual­ (victims and perpetrators), intimate partner relationship-, and site-level variables in estimation of between site variation in outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analyses will include an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the overall initiative, as well as sub-analyses comparing cost-effectiveness of individual sites whose prevention programs proved effective. ca/ncf