For survivors of domestic violence, community safety often relies on the effectiveness of the programs designed to rehabilitate offenders and break cycles of abuse.
Recognizing that these critical intervention strategies vary drastically across state lines, Clinton School of Public Service student Hannah Butler set out to evaluate how Arkansas measures up against national models to help protect vulnerable families.
Partnering with the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ACADV), Butler’s extensive Capstone research culminated in her final report, “A Comparative Analysis of State Standards for Domestic Violence Intervention Programs: Implications for Arkansas.” Her qualitative analysis evaluates national intervention frameworks to identify actionable, data-driven areas for improvement within the state.
The ACADV works directly with law enforcement, educators, and service providers to empower survivors, eliminate domestic violence, and promote healthy families. Butler, an El Paso, Texas native, chose the organization due to her alignment with their mission and her passion for addressing domestic violence as a critical public health priority.
“I chose this organization because I am extremely passionate about public health and community safety, and domestic violence is often overlooked as a public health issue,” Butler said. “I also admire the ACADV’s commitment to holding abusers accountable and utilizing transformative justice frameworks rather than a strictly punitive approach.”
Data-Driven Insights for Community Health
To evaluate the effectiveness of existing frameworks, Butler executed a qualitative content analysis comparing intervention standards in Arkansas against those across the country. Her research culminated in a final paper, an executive summary, and a formal presentation of her findings. Notably, her final deliverable featured a comprehensive matrix detailing program philosophies, facilitator qualifications, structural lengths, evaluation metrics, and cultural accessibility guidelines across all 50 states.
“Hannah’s final presentation was very well received by ACADV staff, DVIP Advisory Board members, and key stakeholders,” said Brandy Dailey, Director of Accountability and Community Response for ACADV. “Her research and recommendations will have immediate impact, and we hope to continue to collaborate with future research projects.”
Beyond standard analysis, Butler conducted qualitative interviews with domestic violence practitioners and administrators nationwide. Her evaluation produced five distinct recommendations for the ACADV: strengthening programmatic outcome measurements, shifting toward competency-based completion models, clarifying group size guidelines, incorporating risk and needs assessments, and improving rural access to services.
“These recommendations can help the ACADV strengthen their domestic violence intervention strategies, leading to increased offender accountability, survivor safety, and overall community health,” she said.
A cornerstone of Butler’s Capstone experience involved witnessing intervention strategies in practice. She had the opportunity to observe a live intervention session where a facilitator worked directly with perpetrators of domestic violence to challenge the behavioral beliefs and systemic ideas driving their actions.
“It was an insightful experience that allowed me to see first-hand the effectiveness of a transformative justice approach,” she said.