Formal information support systems for domestic violence victims

Abstract

AbstractSurvivors of domestic violence (DV) seek information on many issues under stressful and even dangerous circumstances. Numerous agencies use multiple information formats to structure segments of formal information systems in support of these crime victims. The effort of e‐government to make full use of the Internet's potential for interactive, substantive information provision is a key feature of this system. Many users rely on this formal system in times of crisis as well as during the often lengthy, incremental movement toward safety. Nevertheless, no post‐Internet examination of the nature or efficacy of the system has been conducted in the United States. This study examines the information needs and concerns of DV survivors and those who seek to assist them, as well as the nature of this formal system. Using a two‐stage combination of interviews and questionnaires, the study involves survivors, safe‐house directors, police officers, health care workers, public library reference staff, and social service directors in several demographically diverse Texas cities. A web‐site analysis of the relevant e‐government and safe‐house sites in each city extends the work. This study constitutes the first regional analysis in the U.S. of post‐Internet formal information systems for the support of DV victims.