Summary
"In recent years a number of programs have been developed in which social workers (“second responders”) visit homes in which domestic incidents were recently reported to the police in order to help them find long-term solutions to recurring abuse (e.g. see Dean, Lumb, Proctor, Klopovic, Hyatt, & Hamby, 2000; Mickish, 2002). While these programs rapidly gained in popularity in the United States, the evidence regarding their effectiveness is mixed. Although some research has indicated that second responder programs can prevent repeat victimization, the most rigorous studies have suggested that these programs may actually increase the odds of abuse recurring. ... the Redlands study set out to test the question of whether more efficacious outcomes would be gained the closer that a second response occurs to the actual domestic violence event. ... From the study, we hoped to identify whether there are versions of this intervention that are likely to reduce continuing abuse and whether there are versions that have no effect or actually increase abuse. We hoped that the results would affect how criminal justice planners, victim service providers, and law enforcement agencies design and implement these programs."--Introduction.