This study provides a thematic analysis of domestic violence protective order (DVPO) plaintiff complaints to identify the types of nonphysical violence described and effects on plaintiff health outcomes.
The findings of this thematic analysis of domestic violence protective order (DVPO) complaints to identify the types of nonphysical violence described and the effects on plaintiff health outcomes highlights the potentially deleterious impact of nonphysical violence on the well-being of DVPO plaintiffs. District court judges who make final determinations in DVPO cases in North Carolina indicate often using heuristics, such as the presence of visible injury, to guide their assessment of violence severity. This approach is concerning as it minimizes nonphysical intimate partner violence. Most case files included descriptions of nonphysical violence and plaintiffs described fear as a significant mental health outcome. (Published Abstract Provided)