Report

Pretrial Services Victims Women in Jail July 11, 2023

Implementing Domestic Violence Peer-Support Programs In Jail

Gabriella Alessi, Katy Maskolunas, Jocelyn Braxton, Tanisha Murden & Rylinda Rhodes

Domestic violence (DV), or intimate partner violence (IPV), is defined by the National Domestic Violence Hotline as a “pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship.” Those who choose to control their partner believe that they have a right to control, monitor, restrict, intimidate, and harass their partner. This behavior is learned and a choice; it is never the fault of the victim. Power and control can manifest in many ways, including, but not limited to, physical abuse, spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, technology abuse, stalking, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence is one of the most prevalent crimes in the United States, with 1 in 4 women experiencing domestic violence during their lifetime1. Domestic violence accounts for more than 20% of the violent crime that occurs each year2. Domestic violence can affect any person, regardless of age, gender identity, ability status, economic status,citizenship status, race, or gender. Victims and survivors of domestic violence3 may present in many forms with their lived experiences and any past traumas they have experienced.