Learning From Experience: A Content Analysis of Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Reports

The mounting cost of domestic violence (DV) homicide in the United States has led to increased attention from law enforcement agencies and social organizations and the establishment of domestic violence fatality review boards or teams (DVFRTs) throughout the country. These teams are tasked with reviewing a specified set of DV-related fatality cases to determine the factors that contributed to the fatalities and whether there are changes that can be made to prevent future similar incidents. There exists, however, little to no standardization of practice and procedures among DVFRTs, resulting in wide variability among the reports they produce. The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the content of DVFRT reports across the United States to summarize standard practices in DVFRT reporting and to inform the procedures of existing and future DVFRTs. The researchers conducted a content analysis of 47 DVFRT reports to determine what information is most typically included in these reports on state, county, and city levels. A summary of findings and recommendations for DVFRTs is included.