Helpful or harmful: The effects of criminal justice system contact on victims of sexual and physical violence
While the criminal justice system (CJS) is held to play an important part in a victim of physical and sexual violenceʼs recovery process, there is limited empirical research on how it helps and/or hinders recovery along these different dimensions. We will address this knowledge gap using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.
About the project
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Project period: 30.12.2024 - 30.05.2029 (Active)
- Coordinating Institution: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
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Project Manager:
- Maja Weemes Grøtting, Health Services Research
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Project Participants:
- Ole Jørgen Røgeberg, Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research
- Anna Aasen Godøy, Department of Health Management and Health Economics
- Henning Øien, Department of Health Management and Health Economics
- Bjørn-Atle Reme, Department of Health Management and Health Economics
- Solveig Laugerud, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law
- Thomas Hansen, Department of Mental Health
- Line Cecilie Gjerde, Department of Mental Health
Summary
The impact of physical and sexual violence on victims and their families can be devastating and persistent, with long-run effects on physical and mental health, educational attainment, employment, and welfare uptake. While the criminal justice system (CJS) is held to play an important part in a victimʼs recovery process, there is limited empirical research on how it helps and/or hinders recovery along these different dimensions. We will address this knowledge gap using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative analyses will analyze rich longitudinal administrative register data with full population coverage using state-of-the-art methods for causal inference in combination with predictive machine learning techniques. The qualitative analyses will complement the quantitative analyses by providing context to a complex field of cases and victims and by identifying potential intervening mechanisms between CJS exposure and outcomes. Together, these supplementary approaches will yield a more robust, representative, and nuanced understanding of how contact with the CJS influences victim outcomes across multiple important life domains in both the short and long run. The project is led by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, with the Frisch Centre and the University of Oslo as partners. The project has an advisory board with members from the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS), ETH Zurich, the University of Oslo, the Frisch Centre, the University of Bergen, and OsloMet. In addition, the project will be carried out in dialogue with a user group consisting of persons and organizations who are in contact with victims of violence and abuse.