Safe Rhode Island:
Violence and Injury Prevention Program

Violence Against Women

Findings From the Violence Against Women Prevention Program (VAWPP), 1994-2000

From 1994-2000, The Violence Against Women Prevention Program focused on determining the extent of the problem of violence against women and the prevention of domestic violence, including physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women by their intimate partners.

Rape Prevention Education

For more than fifteen years, the Rhode Island Department of Health has been partnering with the Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center to provide rape prevention education in Rhode Island Schools.  See the SA&TRC’s 8 point plan to reduce the incidence of sexual violence in Rhode Island (www.satrc.org).

Domestic Violence Prevention

Since 1994 the Rhode Island Department of Health has been partnering with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CADV) to increase awareness of the extent of domestic violence and encourage Rhode Islanders to become involved in addressing this silent epidemic.  See the CADV at (www.ricadv.org) for more information.

Publications:

Public Education & Information Initiative

2003: Rape In Rhode Island: A Report to the State
(National Violence Against Women Prevention research Center)

VAW Publication

Verhoek-Oftedahl W, Pearlman DN, Babcock JC. Improving Surveillance of Intimate Partner Violence by Use of Multiple Data Sources. Am J Prev Med 2000;19(4):308-315.

Lemon SC, Verhoek-Oftedahl W, Donnelly EF. Preventive Healthcare Use, Smoking, and Alcohol Use Among Rhode Island Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence. J Women's Health and Gender Based Medicine 2002;11(6):555-562.

Pearlman D, Zierler S, Gjelsvik A, Verhoek-Oftedahl W. Neighborhood environment, racial position, and risk of police-reported domestic violence: A contextual analysis. Public Health Reports 2003, 118(1).

Gelsvick A, Verhoek-Oftedahl W, Pearlman D. Domestic violence incidents with children witnesses: Findings from Rhode Island surveillance data. Women's Health Issues 2003, 13(2).

Publication pending

Verhoek-Oftedahl W, Devine, A. The Gray Zone between Children Witnessing Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment: A Call to Establish a Threshold for Intervention. Medicine and Health/Rhode Island (anticipated November 2003).

1995: Violence Against Women (Public Health Briefings, Rhode Island Medicine) 1996: Poor Ascertainment of Violence Against Women Hampers Surveillance (Public Health Briefings, Rhode Island Medicine)

1996: Violence Against Women In Rhode Island: A Needs Assessment

Certified Batterers Intervention Programs