Aug 2023

Brookings Institution Commentary: Making the invisible epidemic visible

Jens Ludwig

New approaches can help connect domestic violence survivors to services.

Using new data from a large urban trauma center in Chicago, we document substantial under-reporting of domestic violence at the time of receiving medical care. Our analysis suggests that many women who receive treatment for their injuries in the emergency room (ER) do not disclose domestic violence victimization to medical personnel but do report to law enforcement within several days. This points to a missed opportunity to offer services and protection to domestic violence survivors earlier and in a more appropriate setting.

Latest Updates

Madison Police Department captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader
Media Mention
City of Madison
Apr 2024

Madison Police Department captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader

Captain Stephanie Drescher, a graduate of the Policing Leadership Academy, was awarded the 2024 Past President Scholarship at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives conference for their work on domestic violence homicides.

Second Chance Month: Centering Lived Experience in Violence Intervention
Media Mention
National League of Cities
Apr 2024

Second Chance Month: Centering Lived Experience in Violence Intervention

In recognition of Second Chance Month, the National League of Cities’ Maryam Ahmed and Kirby Gaherty write about the importance of centering “credible messengers”—people with lived experience in the justice system—to advance community safety and highlight the Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.

Why America fell for guns
Essay
Aeon
Apr 2024

Why America fell for guns

Megan Kang, a Crime Lab affiliate and Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Princeton University, writes an essay that describes America’s extraordinary levels of gun ownership in the context of a key turning point in US gun culture in the mid-20th century.