A Coordinated Community Response to Intimate Partner Violence on the College Campus

Abstract

Recent statistics indicate that intimate partner violence is magnified on college campuses. In the university setting, victims of intimate partner violence may encounter numerous agencies (e.g., campus police, local courts, victim advocates) following reporting of victimization. The need for a coordinated community response to intimate partner violence of college students has been emphasized in recent years, yet little research has been conducted. This qualitative, exploratory study examines perceptions of 15 service providers in a recently implemented, campus-based, coordinated community response. Narrative data from semistructured interviews indicate that service providers are generally satisfied with the current response, but report a need for increased training and resources. Implications for future research, education, and public policy are discussed.

The authors would like to thank Merry Morash and the anonymous reviewers of Victims & Offenders for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Keywords:

• coordinated community response
• college campuses
• intimate partner violence
• dating violence
• service providers

Notes

The authors would like to thank Merry Morash and the anonymous reviewers of Victims & Offenders for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

¹The Greek system includes male student fraternities and female student sororities. These social organizations are commonly referred to as “Greek” organizations because a majority of them use two or three Greek letters to distinguish themselves. Most were originally founded on dedication to community service, leadership, and related principles, but have become associated (albeit perhaps stereotypically) with excessive alcohol consumption (Juhnke, Schroat, Cashwell, & Gmutza, 2003; also see Wikipedia, 2006).

²Many of those involved in the implementation process were conducting research in areas related to intimate partner violence (e.g., police training) and were asked to participate because they had existing relationships with social service agencies in the community and key campus units (e.g., counseling).

³Similarly, while there is no “typical” response to a victim, service providers consistently supported a flexible approach that could be easily tailored to unique victim needs.