Implementing a place-based approach to reduce domestic violence victimization in the city of Newark.

As domestic violence incidents continue to increase in the City of Newark, the Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC) is developing a data-informed community-led solution to address cases of domestic violence at high-risk locations. A place-based approach to domestic violence can help community-based organizations prioritize their efforts and promote evidence-based solutions in places that need them the most.  It’s important to emphasize that underreporting is still a limiting factor, even with a growing domestic violence research trend (Roman and Reid, 2012).

Domestic violence is a growing public health concern. Particularly, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) continues to be the leading cause of severe physical injuries to women in the U.S. (Goodrum et al., 2007). Moreover, there are several aggravating factors believed to increase the risk of domestic violence victimization. For example, excessive alcohol abuse has been widely studied as a significant risk factor for domestic violence. Based on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), Bachman and Martin (1997) found that in 55% of intimate partner assaults, the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol. Moreover, the authors found that the victim’s probability of injury increased by 1.5 times when the perpetrator was intoxicated.

Past research studies have extensively studied domestic violence through the health and social lenses. However, a more recent research wave aims to analyze domestic violence (e.g., intimate partner violence and family violence) from an ecological perspective. Past research from Newton and Felson (2015), has shown, the spatial distribution of crime is not random. Instead, its geographical concentration is influenced by a multitude of factors (Newton & Felson, 2015). Thus, domestic violence can be influenced by the physical environment’s spatial characteristics in the same manner as street crimes do. 

A Roman and Reid (2012) study conducted in the District of Columbia in 2012 found that high density of alcohol outlets (e.g. bars and liquor stores) were positively associated with reported cases of domestic violence. Using data on 911 emergency calls for domestic violence-related incidents, the authors found that geographic clusters of off-premise alcohol outlets (e.g., liquor stores) to be a predicting factor, particularly during the weekends (Roman & Reid, 2012). Similar research from Sacramento, California, found that off-premise alcohol outlets were responsible for a 4% increase in intimate partner violence-related calls (Cunradi et al., 2011).

A recent study conducted by Kajeepeta et al. (2020) in New Orleans used data from a place-based blighted property remediation strategy to evaluate the impact of blight on domestic violence trends, particularly as it relates to alcohol availability. The study suggests that blight remediation strategies may reduce domestic violence in areas with high on-premise alcohol outlet (e.g., bars) density. According to Kajeepeta et al., (2020), a possible explanation may be that urban blight is believed to be associated with fewer domestic violence-related calls for service due to lower social control (2020). Thus, blight remediation may increase social control and, therefore, positively impact domestic violence trends (Browning, 2002).

When studying the association between domestic violence and alcohol outlet density, a gender-specific approach can help understand the gender dynamics of intimate partner violence. Men who drink more than five drinks per occasion than those who abstained from drinking have higher intimate partner violence (IPV) rates (Cunradi et al., 2011). Because drinking habits and harmful behavior associated with drinking differ from males to females, a gender-specific approach for treatment and programming can be more effective than general approaches (Taft et al., 2019).

While cases of domestic violence can be influenced by the spatial characteristics of the built environment, victimization is also heavily influenced by social disorganization contexts such as poverty and unemployment (Cunradi et al., 2011). A study by Cunradi et al., which sought to evaluate the impact of neighborhood poverty on intimate partner violence, suggests that couples residing in socially disorganized neighborhoods have an increased risk of intimate partner victimization (2000). A similar study conducted in 2010 also found a positive relationship between economic deprivation and fatal intimate partner violence (Diem & Pizarro, 2010).

Effective intervention through a place-based approach can be enacted in the community by identifying social and spatial risk factors. Ultimately, effective place-based interventions can help promote safer communities. The Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC) continues to work with community partners and local stakeholders to enact effective positive change by addressing community challenges through the use of Data-Informed Community Engagement (DICE). Through this work, the NPSC hopes to empower community-based groups to implement actionable change in the city of Newark. 

References:

Browning, C. (2002). The Span of Collective Efficacy: Extending Social Disorganization Theory to Partner Violence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64(4), 833–850. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00833.x

Cunradi, C.B., Mair, C., Ponicki, W. et al. Alcohol Outlets, Neighborhood Characteristics, and Intimate Partner Violence: Ecological Analysis of a California City. J Urban Health 88, 191–200 (2011). https://doi-org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/10.1007/s11524-011-9549-6

Cunradi, C. (2000). Neighborhood Poverty as a Predictor of Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States. Annals of Epidemiology, 10(5), 297–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(00)00052-1 

Diem, P. (2010). Social Structure and Family Homicides. Journal of Family Violence, 25(5), 521–532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-010-9313-9

Goodrum, U. (2001). The Batterer’s View of the Self and Others in Domestic Violence. Sociological Inquiry, 71(2), 221–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2001.tb01109.x

Kajeepeta, T. (2020). The association between blighted property remediation and domestic crime by alcohol availability. Health & Place, 64, 102364–102364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102364

Martin, S. E., and Bachman, R. (1997). The relationship of alcohol to injury in assault cases.In Galanter, M. (ed.),Recent Developments in Alcoholism,Vol. 13, Plenum, New York,pp. 41–56.

Newton, A., Felson, M. Editorial: crime patterns in time and space: the dynamics of crime opportunities in urban areas. Crime Sci 4, 11 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-015-0025-6

Roman, R., Reid, S. (2012). Assessing the Relationship Between Alcohol Outlets and Domestic Violence: Routine Activities and the Neighborhood Environment. Violence and Victims, 27(5), 811–828. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.27.5.811

Taft, A., Wilson, I., Laslett, A.‐M. and Kuntsche, S. (2019), Pathways to responding and preventing alcohol‐related violence against women: why a gendered approach matters. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 43: 516-518. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12943