Can Family Courts Reduce Domestic Violence and Improve Public Health?

This project will assess the effectiveness of unified family courts, as implemented in North Carolina, on health and school outcomes of children aged zero to 7 and health of women aged 18 to 49, through their effects in reducing rates of domestic violence.

The study will examine processes of family courts as they relate to domestic violence and abuse of adult women and children in the NC unified family court system and will analyze changes in school-absenteeism, dropouts, progression to next grade, and suspensions/expulsions. Deliverables for this project include 2 papers; one to be published in a policy and law journal and the other to be published in a health policy journal.