• DOI:10.1177/0886260519883865
• Corpus ID: 204954937

Criminal Orders of Protection for Domestic Violence: Associated Revictimization, Mental Health, and Well-being Among Victims

@article{Sullivan2019CriminalOO,
  title={Criminal Orders of Protection for Domestic Violence: Associated Revictimization, Mental Health, and Well-being Among Victims},
  author={Tami P. Sullivan and Nicole H. Weiss and Jacqueline Woerner and Janan P. Wyatt and Camille Carey},
  journal={Journal of Interpersonal Violence},
  year={2019},
  volume={36},
  pages={10198 - 10219}
}

• Tami P. Sullivan, Nicole H. Weiss, +2 authors C. Carey
• Published 28 October 2019
• Psychology, Law
• Journal of Interpersonal Violence

All states issue criminal protection orders (POs) with the intention of improving the lives of victims of domestic violence (DV); however, there is a dearth of research examining their impact. This study aims to examine the impact of criminal POs with different levels of restrictions on victims’ revictimization, mental health, and well-being. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data regarding two time points during one interview among a sample of 298 victims in a criminal DV case. Across the three levels of PO restrictions (limited, residential stay-away, and full no-contact), participants reported significantly reduced physical, sexual, and psychological DV; unwanted pursuit behavior; post-traumatic stress and depression symptom severity; and perceived stress and fear of revictimization. The amount of change varied between groups for revictimization variables. Full no-contact restrictions were associated with the greatest decreases in revictimization. However, findings must be interpreted with caution given the heterogeneity in victims’ experiences; some victims experienced an increase in revictimization and mental health problems and a decrease in well-being. Findings suggest that the court, through criminal POs, may be a system through which to reach victims who might not otherwise connect with services to promote safety and resilience.