Monitoring Crime Victims’ Barriers to Legal Needs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining the Utility of Interrupted Time Series for Surveilling Community Data

Abstract

ABSTRACT Monitoring barriers to accessing legal needs for crime victims is crucial in reducing harm and improving service access. However, variability in data tracking and resource limitations hinder such monitoring. This study evaluated the utility of interrupted time series regression for monitoring community-level changes. The current study employed qualitative coding analyses as well as interrupted time series regressions on monthly survey data completed by 195 victim service providers across 9 different victim services agencies to examine changes in barriers to victim services during COVID-19 and the utility of interrupted time series for monitoring change. Content analysis of provider reports of changes to service barriers for their clients informed the selection of six survey items with which to apply interrupted time series analyses: technology-related barriers, court system changes, basic needs of clients, awareness of services, accessibility of legal services, and mistrust of system personnel. Interrupted time series analyses identified initial increase in barriers related to lengthy court processes, technology access, and basic needs in the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, with changes sustained in the later phase of the pandemic. The study provides support for the use of interrupted time series for meaningfully surveilling community-level trends despite month-to-month staffing changes.