Battered Women and Their Children: A Public Policy Response

Abstract

Domestic violence has long been acknowledged as an issue in intimate relationships but treated as a private, rather than a public, problem. As fewer federal funds are made available and more fiscal responsibility is shifted to state governments, the states' policies will become more and more critical. This article assesses New York State's domestic violence policy and presents a framework of a three-tier continuum of services: shelter and short-term assistance, transitional services, and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems.