Individual Perception of the Violence Against Women Act
Brigette N. Merzel
Mentors: Professor Amie A. Macdonald, Ph.D & Professor Gregory “Fritz” Umbach, Ph.D
Abstract
In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA) in hopes of decreasing domestic
violence statistics and increasing support for victims.
While an overwhelming amount of literature exists,
scholars fail to reveal why domestic violence
statistics have yet to decrease dramatically. In an
effort to determine why statistics steadily decrease, it
is important to see whether the programs under the
VAWA are being utilized. The utilization of programs
can significantly help victims. So, it is important to
ask whether socioeconomic factors conditional
individual perception of the VAWA. This study aims to
prove that socioeconomic factors impact individual
perception, ultimately leading individuals to feel as
though they are not protected under the act.
Introduction
Essentially, the 1970’s women’s movement
brought attention to harsh reality of domestic
violence within intimate relationships. This
newfound realization within the “modern” world
led to the creation of the VAWA. While the
VAWA serves as an excellent aid to victims and
survivors in need, the act is severely flawed.
It’s flaws can be seen in the steadily-
decreasing domestic violence statistics across
the United States. In an effort to unveil such
flaws, it is important to determine whether
individuals are utilizing the services provided
under the act. Still, should poor programs be
the sole blame of individuals not using the
programs available? Or, is it possible that
individuals do not utilize the act because they
feel as though the act is not applicable to
them?
Proposed Methodology
• Analyze databases to identify gap in
literature
• Interview 30-100 victims of domestic violence
(both men and females) from different
socioeconomic backgrounds
• Measure and evaluate whether
socioeconomic factors play a role in the
perception and utilization of the VAWA
• Find an effective way to rewrite the VAWA
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Why Is the VAWA Important?
• The VAWA creates “educational and social
programs to prevent crime” (Laney, 2010).
• Extends to cover various immigrant, racial,
and ethnic populations.
• Encourages increased criminal justice
support
• Imposes mandatory arrest policies
• Provides necessities such as shelter, clothing,
free legal support, health care, etc.
Study the VAWA’s Effects?
The effects of the VAWA must be studied
because:
• Annually, at least 10 million individuals across
the United States find themselves victims of
domestic abuse.
• 1 in 4 women around the United States have
experienced some type of domestic violence.
• For the calendar year of 2015, over 28,000
domestic disturbances were reported in New
York State (outside of New York City).
• Even though the statistics have decreased
2% since 2014, the statistics are extremely
concerning.
• Some individuals feel as though they are not
protected under the law.
• There is not enough exposure on all the
programs the VAWA offers.
Legal Mobilization
• According to Lempert (1976), legal
mobilization is where “legal norms are
invoked to regulate behavior.” Victims of
domestic violence must perceive their
situations (violence within the home) as
“injurious” before concluding that they are
victims of domestic abuse (Felstiner, 1981).
• Legal mobilization is crucial to abuse victims
because it is the process of “seeking social
change through legal norms, discourse, or
symbols” (Lemaitre, 2015).
• Without this process, individuals may be
reluctant to leave abusive relationships.
Inadequate Programs
• Hetling & Zhang (2010) reveal that there is no
direct relationship between the placement of
DV agencies and reported domestic
disturbances.
• Rivera (2003) revealed bilingual programs in
New York City are not proportional to the
Latino/a population.
• There are not enough shelters for victims of
domestic violence. There are almost 50
victims to each available bed.
• Programs that are poor and have a large
minority population “are less likely to have
services” (Tiefenthaler, 2005).
Criminal Justice Support
• Victims of domestic violence may rely on
police assistance when exiting relationships.
• Thus, respectful police demeanor is crucial to
ensure victims know that law is on their side.
According to victims, the manner is which
officers act is “reflective of the officers’ beliefs
and assumptions” (Stephens, 2000).
• The outcome hypothesis (victims who receive
the police outcome they expect are more
inclined to use police assistance in the future)
was confirmed in a 2003 study.
• Goodman-Delahunty (2016) revealed that
72% of participants reported illegal and/or
unprofessional domestic violence related
police responses
Why Socioeconomic Factors?
• Socioeconomic factors are important to
measure to determine why individuals do or
do not utilize the programs provided under
the VAWA.
• Socioeconomic backgrounds can provide
insight on whether programs are distributed
fairly amongst all individuals.
• Socioeconomic factors can either help or
hinder an individuals chance of gaining
access to programs.
• Individuals can feel as though the VAWA is
not applicable to them due to their
socioeconomic backgrounds
• A 2011 study revealed that:
• Individuals who received shelter
were significantly younger than
those who did not
• Individuals who were African
American were more likely to
receive shelter than those who
were Hispanic or White
• Those who had a disability were
more likely to gain access to the
shelters over those who did not
have any disability
Selected Bibliography
• Abel, R. L., Felstiner, W. L. F., & Sarat, A. (1981). The Emergence and
Transformation of Disputes: Naming, Blaming, Claiming…Law & Society Review,
15(4). 635.
• About the Office on Violence Against Women. (2016). Retrieved fromhttps
://www.justice.gov/file/29836/download
• Bell, M., Perez, S., Goodman, L., & Dutton, M. (2011). Battered women's
perceptions of civil and criminal court helpfulness: The role of court outcome and
process. Violence against Women, 17(1), 71-88.
• Goodman-Delahunty, J., & Crehan, A. (2016). Enhancing Police Responses to
Domestic Violence Incidents. Violence Against Women, 22(8), 1007-1026.
• Herling, A., & Zhang, H. (2010). Domestic Violence, Poverty, and Social Services:
Does Location Matter? * . Social Science Quarterly, 91(5), 1144-1163.
• Hickman, L., & Simpson, S. (2003). Fair Treatment or Preferred Outcome? The
Impact of Police Behavior on Victim Reports of Domestic Violence Incidents. Law &
Society Review, 37(3), 607-634.
• Lemaitre, J., & Sandvik, K. (2015). Shifting Frames, Vanishing Resources, and
Dangerous Political Opportunities: Legal Mobilization among Displaced Women in
Colombia. Law & Society Review, 49(1), 5-38.
• Lempert, R. O. Mobilizing private law: an introductory essay. Law & Society
Review,1976, 2, 173-189.
Contact Information
Brigette N. Merzel
brigette.merzel@jjay.cuny.edu