Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

Protective orders, also called domestic violence orders (DVO), provide one way to reduce intimate partner violence (Logan, Shannon, Walker, & Faragher, 2006). Protective orders include No Contact (NC), and No Violent Contact orders (NVC) (Logan, Shannon & Walker, 2005). While NC orders prohibit all contact between the perpetrator and victim, NVC orders allow the couple to continue to have contact (e.g., about children or to continue to have a relationship) but prohibits violence (Logan et al., 2006). Research suggests that many women experience violence after obtaining any type of protective order. Despite research suggesting that victimization occurs in 60% of women's lives after a protective order (Harrell, Smith & Newmark, 1993), little research has focused on examining whether different types of orders result in differences in future violence. The current study examines differences in victimization experiences 1-year after issuance of a NC or a NVC order.

Women with a DVO against a male intimate partner were recruited for participation in the study (N=757). Data for this analysis was collected from 710 women who participated in both the baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews (94% follow-up rate). Due to the primary focus of this analysis, 159 women were dropped for having amended the order to restrict and/or allow contact. The final sample was 551 (n = 413 NC; n = 139 NVC).

Women were on average 33 years old, the majority were Caucasian (82%) or African-American (15%). Overall, victimization experiences in the last year of the relationship (before DVO) reported at baseline were similar with the exception that significantly more women receiving NC orders reported severe physical violence, stalking, and sexual insistence. To examine differences in outcomes of the two types of orders controlling for group differences in demographics and baseline victimization experiences, the following covariates were utilized: area (rural/urban), severe physical violence, stalking, and sexual insistence. Logistic regression analysis showed that women who received NVC orders were significantly more likely to report: all types of psychological violence (Wald = 46.449), physical violence (Wald = 23.312, p<.001), sexual insistence (Wald = 26.56, p<.001), and injuries from violence (Wald = 13.23, p<.001), approximately 12 months after obtaining the protective order.

Follow-up victimization experiences suggest that violence after the protective order was reduced for the majority of the women in this study. However, women with a NVC order were more likely to experience future violence. These findings are potentially related to the fact that 58% of the women with NVC orders continued the relationship with the DVO partner after obtaining the order compared with only 13% receiving a NC order. Women may choose to stay in contact with the partner or ex-partner for a variety of reasons (Logan, Cole, Shannon & Walker, 2006), however these findings could still be important for court personnel, judges, and advocates who can help with safety planning and education for women seeking NVC orders. Women considering any relationship with the violent partner, even with a NVC order in place, could be informed of the risks for future violence.