154735 Factors associated with seeking a long term protective order and staying away among women seeking temporary protective orders against a male partner

Monday, November 5, 2007

Daniel W. Webster, ScD, MPH , Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Patricia Mahoney, MA , Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN , Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Susan Ghanbarpour, MA , Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Seeking a long term protective order and staying away from an abuser are two strategies that have received empirical support for reducing abuse experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence. As part of an ongoing study, we are interviewing women who have sought a temporary protective order (TPO) against a male partner in an urban setting. We expect to report data on 200 women. Baseline and 6-month follow-up data have been entered for 113 women. In these analyses, we explore factors associated with seeking a long term protective order (LPO) and staying someplace where the abuser couldn't find her (e.g., shelter) during the follow-up period.

Of the 113 women for whom data is available to date, 66% sought an LPO and 17% stayed away during the follow-up period. While perceived risk of future assault was not associated with seeking an LPO, women whose partners had threatened to kill them in the past were more likely to seek an LPO relative to women who had not received such threats (73% v 48%, p<.01). African Americans were less likely than other races to seek an LPO (62% v 86%, p<.05). Perceived risk of future assault, past threats to kill, and race were not associated with staying away from abusers. Having children under age 18 was associated with increased likelihood of staying away (21% v 8%, p<.09).

Other variables to be examined include: perceived efficacy of each strategy, depression, PTSD, and social support.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the factors associated with seeking a long term protective order 2. Identify the factors associated with staying away from an abuser 3.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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