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…

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 issues 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. This study builds on the successful phase i of an OVW-funded feasibility study conducted between 2021-2023 on the seattle domestic violence intervention project (dvip), a court-ordered program rooted in evidence-based practices in offender treatment and supervision. The dvip uses a research-informed assessment of offenders risks and needs, an individualized treatment plan, and supervision by a multi-disciplinary team. The phase II outcome evaluation will employ a quasi-experimental design to assess dvips effectiveness by comparing outcomes among dvip participants to those of offenders who get probation only. The results will provide actionable findings for dvip stakeholders related to the program's impact on recidivism, survivor well-being, and service use. Findings will inform best practices for offender treatment and supervision within a multi-disciplinary response to intimate partner violence in communities across the country.