Evaluation of the pro-active advisory services BISS specialized in supporting victims of domestic violence

Dr. Rebecca Löbmann
Dipl.-Psych. Karin Herbers
Gabi Schacht, Juristin (bis Februar 2004)
Marlies Feldner
Andrea Schneider

Ministry of Social Affairs, Women, Family, Health of Lower Saxony
 

In 19 administrative districts of Lower Saxony a new kind of counselling centres has been installed as an intervention pilot project. These advisory services are specialized in supporting victims of domestic violence after police interventions by an pro-active approach: Police officers pass telephone numbers of victims to counselling centers, then counsellors call victims and offer their help. They give emotional support, counsel victims on safety measures and inform them on the German civil law on violence against women. This law offers the opportunity to apply for protection orders and the sole use of an apartment. The Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony has evaluated the work of these counselling centres. To this goal, qualitative and quantitative interviews with all the professional groups involved (police officers, counsellors, judges), as well as with victims have been conducted. Furthermore, the set-up of databases was initiated (or accompanied), so that the frequencies of cases could be registered on each of the three levels  " police, counselling, and court. From these data, the pro-active advisory strategy was evaluated. Furthermore, multiple results on the phenomenology of domestic violence were gained. Finally, recommendations for practitioners were given.