Protection Orders and Intimate Partner Violence: An 18-Month Study of 150 Black, Hispanic, and White Women

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Abstract
Objectives. We compared types and frequencies of intimate partner violence experienced by women before and after receipt of a 2-year protection order. Methods. Participants were 150 urban English- and Spanish-speaking Black, Hispanic, and White women who qualified for a 2-year protection order against an intimate partner. Results. One woman committed suicide 6 weeks into the study. The remaining 149 women completed all interviews. Results showed significant reductions in threats of assault, physical assault, stalking, and worksite harassment over time among all women, regardless of receipt or nonreceipt of a protection order. Conclusions. Abused women who apply and qualify for a 2-year protection order, irrespective of whether or not they are granted the order, report significantly lower levels of violence during the subsequent 18 months.