“He Will Not Leave Us Alone and I Need the Courts to Help”: Defendants’ Use of Nonphysical Violence in Domestic Violence Protective Order Cases

The findings of this thematic analysis of domestic violence protective order (DPVO) cases  highlight the potentially deleterious impact of nonphysical violence on the well-being of DVPO plaintiffs. District court judges who make final determinations in DVPO cases in North Carolina indicate that they often use heuristics, such as the presence of visible injury, to guide their assessment of violence severity. This approach is concerning as it minimizes nonphysical intimate partner violence. The researchers conducted a thematic analysis of DVPO plaintiff complaints to identify the types of nonphysical violence described and its effects on plaintiff health outcomes. Most case files included descriptions of nonphysical violence, and plaintiffs described fear as a significant mental health outcome. (Published Abstract Provided)