Questionnaires

Questionnaire #1 (Social Workers and Victim's Advocates)

1. On average, how many domestic violence cases do you work per month?

2. What concerns do your clients typically have?

3. What resources do your clients need to make a successful transition away from their abuser?

4. Do you feel your clients would benefit from having a neutral space to meet with you?

5. Do you feel the library could provide a neutral space for meetings?

6. Do you feel your clients would be willing to meet at the library and would benefit from programming highlighting library resources that could aid them?

7. What resources do you feel are most needed by your clients?

8. How do you feel the library can best promote help for your clients, while maintaining safety?

9. Would you or someone from your office be willing to meet with clients and potential clients at the library if a meeting space were provided?

10. What concerns would you have about using the library as a neutral meeting space?


Questionnaire #2 (Shelter Workers)

1. Do you feel your clients would benefit from having a neutral meeting space, where they could meet with a member of your organization?
   

2. Do you feel the library could provide such a space?
   

3. What concerns would you have about using the library as a neutral meeting space?
   

4. What concerns do your clients typically have (either in meeting or in transitioning to a new life)?

5. What resources do your clients need to make a successful transition away from their abuser?
   
   
6. Do you feel your clients would be willing to meet at the library and would benefit from programming highlighting library resources that could aid them?
   
   
7. What resources do you feel are most needed by your clients?
   
   
8. How do you feel the library can best promote help for your clients, while maintaining safety?
   
   
9. Would you or someone from your office be willing to meet with clients and potential clients at the library if a meeting space were provided?
   
   
10. What concerns would you have about using the library as a neutral meeting space?
    

Questionnaire #3 (Survivors of Domestic Violence)

1. What resources have you needed in transitioning to an independent life? Have you utilized the library in any way?
   

2. Do you feel you would have been more willing to meet with an advocate or shelter worker in a neutral space, such as the library?
   

3. Do you feel a library program highlighting resources for survivors of domestic violence could be effective?
   

4. What advice do you have for executing such a program safely? What concerns would you have for such a program?
   

5. What are the biggest issues you've encountered in transitioning to an independent life, and do you feel there is any way the library could help address those issues?
   

Literature

When Men Murder Women--Violence Policy Center Report
      --South Carolina ranks #2 in 2012 in the nation--however, this is based on women per capita. SC actually had the most women killed with 50 female homicide victims.
     --Nationally, 93% of female victims were murdered by someone they knew, and 62% of these were wives, common-in-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders. This does not count those who were ex-girlfriends.
     --In South Carolina:
             -Average age of victim: 46 years old
             -86% of female victims were killed by someone they knew, 68% were killed by intimate partners


Help-Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence and Forced Sex in South Carolina
--Among women experience IPV, 53% sought community-based or professional services
--36.4% saw or talked to a doctor or nurse about the violence, 45.5% received mental health services, 10.9% sought the services of DV shelters, 16.4% attended support groups
     --Most found the contact was helpful, no matter the form of help
--Fewer than 10% of female victims seek services from battered women's shelters

Laws Mandating Reporting of Domestic Violence
--As few as 1 in 20 of women seeking medical attention are identified as having suffered domestic violence
--Mandated reporting can have an adverse effect, increasing violence from the abuser
--Health care providers can make other services and education available, and offer to aid in the reporting if the victim desires

Combating Domestic Violence: Findings from an Evaluation of a Local Domestic Violence Court
--Having a designated court decreased the amount of repeat arrests for DV offenders
--Consolidating resources in a rural area made those resources more available to both victims and offenders