Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Refocusing on women: a new direction for policy and research on intimate partner violence
Other Titles:	Journal of interpersonal violence
Authors:	Epstein, Deborah Goodman, Lisa
Keywords:	Restorative justice;Perpetrators;Criminal justice responses;Overview;Advocacy
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	20 (4), April 2005
Notes:	This US article questions the recent criminal justice reforms on the mandatory or inflexible approaches focussed on counselling and restraining the batterers, along with the protection order system that relies on batterer treatment programmes more than on victim support to prevent future violence. It discusses how these reforms have shifted away from the contextualised, woman-centred focus. It refers to an emerging small body of research that supports flexible responses to victims’ needs, as well as advocacy and social support as being more effective strategies for keeping women safe. Historical context of the battered women’s movement is provided. The authors propose future research should focus back on woman-centred programmes, such as: obstacles to accessing existing services; and evaluations of innovative government practices, such as the Victim Informed Prosecution (VIP) programme underway in the US District of Columbia or other forms of coordinated responses that address the needs of victims. They also suggest the evaluation of new community-based responses, such as advocacy programmes that support the needs of women that may not be met by the criminal justice system, including victims of cultural and ethnic backgrounds who are reluctant to use the existing system, and restorative justice movement such as community justice forums, and sentencing circles which aim to consider the needs of the victim, the community and the offender.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16560
ISSN:	0886-2605
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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