Citation/Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between the victim's perception of the legal system and future behavior related to abuse in the relationship. Secondary data of an earlier study was utilized to obtain responses from 63, female domestic violence victims from Detroit, Michigan. Ninety-seven percent of the participants taking part in the study were African-American. Data was analyzed using frequency distributions, chi square correlations, linear and logistic regression, and Spearman's rho. The study found a link between the victim's perception of the legal system and help-seeking behaviors. This study opens up promising discussion regarding the application of interventions that increase self-efficacy within the legal system.