Connecting to Safety and Stability: Domestic Violence Needs Assessment of Chicago

Domestic violence is pervasive. Approximately 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner in the United States. It is estimated that more than 2 million Illinoisans have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. Domestic violence impacts individuals and communities throughout Chicago. A comprehensive assessment of the domestic violence response system, however, has not been conducted in Chicago since 2007. In light of changes in service capacity and practice over the past decade, as well as the protracted state budget crisis, a needs assessment serves to document the existing domestic violence response system and highlight gaps that need to be filled. To this end, Crown Family Philanthropies, Polk Bros. Foundation, and Michael Reese Health Trust came together and hired Heartland Alliance's Social IMPACT Research Center (IMPACT) to conduct a domestic violence needs assessment. To identify the scale of need for domestic violence services in Chicago, IMPACT partnered with local researchers and service providers to access, analyze, and present secondary data. The study also includes primary data collection and analysis to illustrate prevalence, survivor experience, service capacity, and outstanding needs.