The purpose of this exploratory concurrent mixed methods study is to better
understand the community context of domestic batterer intervention systems
(Gondolf, 2002) by converging demographic trends in crime and arrest,
family income, and marriage and divorce rates with community status
indicators and marital conflict themes. In the study, county-level Uniform
Crime Reports data, US Census data, and Vital Statistics data will be used to
analyze community differences in social context and patterns of domestic
violence in Cabell County, WV and Lawrence County, OH. At the same time,
the local domestic batterer intervention system in Cabell County, WV, will be
explored using ethnographic interviews, qualitative content analysis, and
participant observation with individuals and organizations in Cabell County
and at the state level in order to begin building a grounded theory of community
violence.