The research and evaluation (R & E) initiative is authorized by 34 USC 12291(B)(7), which permits OVW to set aside up to three percent of available funds from most OVW programs to conduct…

This $446,324 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.026 - OVW Research and Evaluation Program) supports a research study to examine the evidence-based and culturally specific components of Abusive Partner Intervention Programs (APIPs). The study will involve a comprehensive review of APIP research, a national survey of 500 APIP program directors, detailed case studies of five culturally diverse APIP models, and survivor focus groups. The research team will use the collected data to develop a typology describing the evidence-based and culturally specific APIP components perceived as most effective, particularly for marginalized populations. This work aims to build knowledge on how APIP components vary in their effectiveness across diverse communities, informing future interventions to better serve victims and hold offenders accountable. The award period runs from November 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

The research and evaluation (R & E) initiative is authorized by 34 USC 12291(B)(7), which permits OVW to set aside up to three percent of available funds from most OVW programs to conduct evaluations of promising practices for combatting domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to research problems emerging in the field. By generating more knowledge about strategies for serving victims and holding offenders accountable, communities that benefit from violence against women act (VAWA) funding will be better equipped to align their work with practices that are known to be effective, and they will be more capable of building empirical knowledge on the efficacy of new and promising ways of making communities safer and more just. Recognizing the GAP in effective evidence-based practices for intimate partner violence interventions, this study will examine the evidence-based and culturally specific components of abusive partner intervention programs (APIPS). The research team will use a mixed-methods approach to: a) perform a comprehensive, systematic review of research evaluating the effectiveness of core apip components as well as updating what is known about state standards for APIPS; B) conduct a national survey of 500 apip program directors to document program implementation and core components; C) detail apip implementation in five case study jurisdictions, representing culturally diverse models for best practices in the field; and D) understand survivors reflections through focus groups. Using the data collected, a typology of APIPS will be developed which describes evidence-based, culturally specific components perceived by program staff, survivors, and justice-involved participants as being most salient to improving outcomes. Findings will build knowledge of how specific apip components vary in their perceived effectiveness for culturally diverse and historically marginalized populations.