Future Directions for the Measurement and Evaluation of Gender-based Violence Policies and Programs

• In Event: NIJ-Day: Violence Against Women Act: Moving Towards Measurement and Evaluation of Gender-based Violence Legislation and Interventions

Abstract

The Violence Against Women Act and its reauthorizations have led to great strides in gender-based violence research outputs, including the establishment of the National Institute of Justice’s violence against women research program, and the Federal government funding hundreds of individual program evaluations. However, critics of VAWA policies and programs have expressed concern that they have not undergone rigorous evaluations of effectiveness. This presentation will discuss the possibilities for future directions for more rigorous research, such as work that will address critical conflicts in the field, including greater attention to sexual assault and violence against women of color, as well as increasing research on male victims and individuals who perpetrate gender-based violence.

Author

• Lisa M. Thompson, Kennesaw State University