Violence Against Women Assistance

Violence against women presents a serious health problem in need of major attention. The Report Card examines two ways in which states have attempted to reduce the impact of domestic violence and sexual assault. First, states can require health care protocols, training, and screening for domestic violence for health care providers. Early detection and intervention by health care providers can help domestic violence victims escape abusive relationships. Health care providers need training not only to appropriately treat women who exhibit signs of domestic violence injuries, but also to screen for and recognize abuse in patients who do not exhibit recent injuries. Second, states can require training for police and prosecutors handling sexual assault cases. Training is important to ensure that victims of sexual assault are not subject to inadequate or inappropriate responses. For example, police and prosecutors may not be sufficiently sensitive to the special traumas that sexual assault victims face.

Data Points for this Issue:

  • Domestic Violence1

      Strength Of Policy 2007 Change From 2004
    ALABAMA No/Harmful Policy  
    ALASKA Limited Policy  
    ARIZONA No/Harmful Policy  
    ARKANSAS No/Harmful Policy  
    CALIFORNIA Meets Policy  
    COLORADO No/Harmful Policy  
    CONNECTICUT No/Harmful Policy  
    DELAWARE No/Harmful Policy  
    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA No/Harmful Policy  
    FLORIDA Weak Policy  
    GEORGIA No/Harmful Policy  
    HAWAII No/Harmful Policy  
    IDAHO No/Harmful Policy  
    ILLINOIS No/Harmful Policy  
    INDIANA No/Harmful Policy  
    IOWA Weak Policy  
    KANSAS No/Harmful Policy  
    KENTUCKY Weak Policy  
    LOUISIANA No/Harmful Policy  
    MAINE No/Harmful Policy  
    MARYLAND No/Harmful Policy  
    MASSACHUSETTS No/Harmful Policy  
    MICHIGAN No/Harmful Policy  
    MINNESOTA No/Harmful Policy  
    MISSISSIPPI No/Harmful Policy  
    MISSOURI No/Harmful Policy  
    MONTANA No/Harmful Policy  
    NEBRASKA No/Harmful Policy  
    NEVADA No/Harmful Policy  
    NEW HAMPSHIRE Limited Policy  
    NEW JERSEY No/Harmful Policy  
    NEW MEXICO No/Harmful Policy  
    NEW YORK Meets Policy  
    NORTH CAROLINA No/Harmful Policy  
    NORTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy  
    OHIO Limited Policy  
    OKLAHOMA Weak Policy  
    OREGON No/Harmful Policy  
    PENNSYLVANIA Meets Policy  
    RHODE ISLAND No/Harmful Policy  
    SOUTH CAROLINA No/Harmful Policy  
    SOUTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy  
    TENNESSEE No/Harmful Policy  
    TEXAS Weak Policy  
    UTAH No/Harmful Policy  
    VERMONT No/Harmful Policy  
    VIRGINIA No/Harmful Policy  
    WASHINGTON Weak Policy  
    WEST VIRGINIA Limited Policy  
    WISCONSIN No/Harmful Policy  
    WYOMING No/Harmful Policy  
     
    Meets PolicyMeets Policy 3  
    Limited PolicyLimited Policy 4  
    Weak PolicyWeak Policy 6  
    No/Harmful PolicyNo/Harmful Policy 38  
    Better Better 0  
    Worse Worse 0  
    Same Same 0  
    • 1. More current data for this indicator are not available, and the 2007 Report Card therefore uses the data from the 2004 Report Card.

    Does the state require domestic violence protocols for, training for, and screening by health care providers?

    States receive a "meets policy" if they have laws that help domestic violence victims get treatment by requiring a) written protocols describing how health care providers should identify and treat domestic violence victims; b) training to help health care providers assist domestic violence victims; and c) routine screening for domestic violence abuse.  States receive a "limited policy" if they have two of these requirements, and a "weak policy" if they have one of these requirements.  States that lack these three policies receive a "no policy."

    Data Source: Domestic Violence Protocols, Training, and Screening for Health Care Providers, 2001.

    Family Violence Prevention Fund, State-by-State Report Card on Health Care Laws and Domestic Violence (San Francisco: Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2001), available at http://endabuse.org/statereport/list.php3, accessed May 22, 2007.

  • Sexual Assault

      Strength Of Policy 2007 Change From 2004
    ALABAMA No/Harmful Policy Same
    ALASKA Meets Policy Same
    ARIZONA No/Harmful Policy Same
    ARKANSAS No/Harmful Policy Same
    CALIFORNIA Meets Policy Same
    COLORADO No/Harmful Policy Same
    CONNECTICUT Meets Policy Same
    DELAWARE No/Harmful Policy Same
    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA No/Harmful Policy Same
    FLORIDA Meets Policy Same
    GEORGIA No/Harmful Policy Same
    HAWAII No/Harmful Policy Same
    IDAHO No/Harmful Policy Same
    ILLINOIS Meets Policy Same
    INDIANA No/Harmful Policy Same
    IOWA Meets Policy Same
    KANSAS No/Harmful Policy Same
    KENTUCKY Meets Policy Same
    LOUISIANA No/Harmful Policy Same
    MAINE No/Harmful Policy Same
    MARYLAND Meets Policy Same
    MASSACHUSETTS Meets Policy Same
    MICHIGAN No/Harmful Policy Same
    MINNESOTA No/Harmful Policy Same
    MISSISSIPPI No/Harmful Policy Same
    MISSOURI No/Harmful Policy Same
    MONTANA No/Harmful Policy Same
    NEBRASKA No/Harmful Policy Same
    NEVADA No/Harmful Policy Same
    NEW HAMPSHIRE No/Harmful Policy Same
    NEW JERSEY Meets Policy Same
    NEW MEXICO Meets Policy Same
    NEW YORK Meets Policy Same
    NORTH CAROLINA No/Harmful Policy Same
    NORTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy Same
    OHIO Meets Policy Same
    OKLAHOMA No/Harmful Policy Same
    OREGON No/Harmful Policy Same
    PENNSYLVANIA No/Harmful Policy Same
    RHODE ISLAND No/Harmful Policy Same
    SOUTH CAROLINA No/Harmful Policy Same
    SOUTH DAKOTA No/Harmful Policy Same
    TENNESSEE No/Harmful Policy Same
    TEXAS Meets Policy Same
    UTAH No/Harmful Policy Same
    VERMONT No/Harmful Policy Same
    VIRGINIA No/Harmful Policy Same
    WASHINGTON Meets Policy Same
    WEST VIRGINIA No/Harmful Policy Same
    WISCONSIN No/Harmful Policy Same
    WYOMING No/Harmful Policy Same
     
    Meets PolicyMeets Policy 15  
    Limited PolicyLimited Policy 0  
    Weak PolicyWeak Policy 0  
    No/Harmful PolicyNo/Harmful Policy 36  
    Better Better 0  
    Worse Worse 0  
    Same Same 51  

    Does the state have laws that require training for police and prosecutors in handling sexual assault cases?

    States receive a "meets policy" if they have laws requiring that police and prosecutors be trained in dealing with sexual assault victims.  States that lack any such policy receive a "no policy."

    Data Source: Sexual Assault Police and Prosecutor Training, 2003.

    Neal Miller, Institute for Law and Justice, "Domestic Violence: A Review of State Legislation Defining Police and Prosecution Duties and Powers," June 2004, available at http://www.ilj.org/publications/DV_Legislation-3.pdf, accessed May 30, 2007.