Domestic Violence

We help courts and communities respond creatively and effectively to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

Watch our video to learn how courts in Rockford, Ill., respond to domestic violence.

Combining lessons learned at the local level with the latest research, our experts provide community-led, data-driven support to jurisdictions across the country looking to enhance their responses to domestic violence. With support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, our experts offer training and hands-on assistance that rejects any one-size-fits-all frameworks. Our work focuses on victim safety and covers civil and criminal justice system responses to domestic violence from initial needs assessments to implementation, evaluation, and ongoing training.

We provide free individualized training and support to courts and communities on a range of topics:

informed-decision making
holistic victim services
offender accountability and engagement
reducing bias and increasing access
engaging the court
learning-based training and practical application

To hear more from us, join our email list. We’ll let you know when we have an upcoming training, webinar, or new resource.

Judge H. Lee Chitwood and Court Coordinator Jaime Clemmer discuss the innovative strategies they use for domestic violence cases in their rural Virginia county.

Initiatives

Access to Justice in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases

Improving access to the courts for victims of domestic violence and those accused of harm enhances safety and accountability and ensures a more just and effective system.
Assessing Risk and Working with Abusive Partners

We use research and the experience of practitioners to help communities hold offenders accountable, assess risk, and engage them in a process of change.
Domestic Violence Court

A pioneer in the creation of specialized domestic violence courts, the Center works to rethink and improve court responses to intimate partner violence.
Domestic Violence Mentor Courts

These specialized courts serve as resources for courts across the country by facilitating peer-to-peer learning and providing examples of effective practices.
Domestic Violence Training and Curriculum Development

We help train judges and court staff with domestic violence workshops that target a community's specific needs and provide concrete tools to improve daily practice.
Enhancing Family Court Responses to Domestic Violence

We help courts grapple with the issues surrounding child custody and visitation for families experiencing domestic violence.
Judicial Engagement Network

Engaging judges and fostering judicial leadership is key to enhancing system-wide responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Justice for Families

Justice for Families supports communities in developing and implementing projects to address domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

Publications & Digital Media

Audio
Financial Insecurity and Domestic Violence: A Conversation about Child Support

by Robert V. Wolf

For survivors of domestic violence, financial insecurity is often a huge problem. Without money to support themselves and their families, survivors can struggle to gain independence. In this New Thinking podcast, Michael Hayes from the Office of Child Support Enforcement and Krista Del Gallo from the Texas Council on Family Violence talk with Robert V. Wolf about strategies that states and the federal government are promoting to help survivors safely access child support.

Domestic Violence, Strengthening Families, Supporting Child Victims
Publication
Domestic Violence Mentor Court Fact Sheet: Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Court, Division 203, has exclusive jurisdiction over all domestic violence ordinance violations that are filed within the Kansas City limits. These cases are criminal in nature and carry a range of punishment of up to six months in jail.

Domestic Violence
Publication
Domestic Violence Mentor Court Fact Sheet: Erie County, New York

Erie County, New York is home to two mentor court sites: The Erie County Integrated Domestic Violence Court and the Erie County Felony Domestic Violence Court.

Domestic Violence

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News

Courts Fail Sex Trafficking Victims

January 19, 2018
Crime Report

Understanding trauma, exploitation, and criminalization: an introduction to our work with justice-involved Black women and the role of human trafficking courts.
Officials aim to create better connectivity in fight against domestic violence

October 21, 2017
Star Beacon

A report on a workshop run by our experts in Ashtabula, Ohio to enhance the response from the county's justice system to domestic violence.

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