Advocacy for victims of intimate partner violence
Advocates work to empower victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and link them with community services such as emergency shelter and psychological assistance, legal, housing, and financial advice, and help establishing safety plans. Advocates try to help victims understand the abusive situation and achieve their own goals, rather than prescribing pre-determined solutions. Advocacy support can be short-term, crisis-focused or include more intensive, longer-term services, depending on victims’ needs and programs’ designs (Campbell-Rivas 2016).
Expected Beneficial Outcomes (Rated)
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Reduced intimate partner violence
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Improved quality of life
Other Potential Beneficial Outcomes
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Reduced post-traumatic stress
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Improved mental health
Evidence of Effectiveness
There is insufficient evidence to determine whether advocate support improves outcomes for victims of intimate partner violence (Campbell-Rivas 2016). Available evidence suggests that community-based advocacy may reduce victims’ post-traumatic stress, depression, and fear (DePrince 2012), and intensive advocacy can reduce future physical abuse and increase quality of life for victims (Campbell-Rivas 2016). However, additional evidence is needed to confirm effects and better understand which advocacy methods are most effective (Campbell-Rivas 2016).
Impact on Disparities
No impact on disparities likely
Implementation Examples
Implementation Resources
NCDVTM-IPV advocacy - National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, & Mental Health (NCDVTM). Resources for advocates: Trauma-informed DV advocacy.
Citations - Evidence
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Campbell-Rivas 2016 - Rivas C, Ramsay J, Sadowski L, et al. Advocacy interventions to reduce or eliminate violence and promote the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of women who experience intimate partner abuse: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 2016:2.
DePrince 2012 - DePrince AP, Labus J, Belknap J, Buckingham S, Gover A. The impact of community-based outreach on psychological distress and victim safety in women exposed to intimate partner abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2012;80(2):211–221.
Citations - Implementation Examples
Date Last Updated
- Scientifically Supported: Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
- Some Evidence: Strategies with this rating are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. These strategies have been tested more than once and results trend positive overall.
- Expert Opinion: Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts but have limited research documenting effects; further research, often with stronger designs, is needed to confirm effects.
- Insufficient Evidence: Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
- Mixed Evidence: Strategies with this rating have been tested more than once and results are inconsistent or trend negative; further research is needed to confirm effects.
- Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results.