Barriers and Access to Services for Female Victims of Violence in the Dominican Republic

Book excerpt: Author's abstract: Violence against women has presented a challenge for those tasked with addressing crime and victimization. It is a complex phenomenon that exists between the private and public spheres of society affecting nearly all aspects of a victim’s life, as well as those close to them. The Dominican Republic began to address domestic and gender violence in the past few decades, and victim services have emerged in efforts to assist Dominican women and girls escaping abuse. This study reviews the existing literature regarding violence against women and girls, and service provision in global, regional, and national contexts, and analyzes qualitative data regarding victim service provision in the Dominican Republic. This study aims to contribute to the extant body of research regarding victim service provision in the Dominican Republic by evaluating existing services and barriers to these services at the systemic, institutional, and cultural or individual levels. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers from the public and private sectors from 3 geographical regions across the country regarding legislation and policies that address violence against women and girls, law enforcement, and victim service provision. The interviews describe a wide range of victim services, relevant legislation, barriers to access services, and service provision. Overall, respondents acknowledged legislation and policies that have helped combat violence against women and girls and established services for victims and discussed barriers to service provision and perceived barriers for victims to access services. The limitations, implications, and recommendations for future research and policy are discussed to guide future research.