Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Temporary Restraining Orders in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Examination of Perpetrator and Victim Views

  • INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In 2009, the Netherlands introduced a 10-day temporary restraining order (TRO) intended for adult perpetrators of domestic violence to defuse dangerous situations and to reduce recidivism by combining a legal action with social services. For this study, 18 victims and 10 perpetrators were interviewed about their experiences with the TRO, related professional help, and the influence the TRO had had on their lives. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subsequently qualitatively analyzed. Most of the victims were positive about the TRO period. Perpetrators were less positive. The vast majority of respondents accepted help during the TRO and were positive about the professionals’ attitudes, but not necessarily about the type of help. Most respondents reported an increase in their wellbeing, new insights, and no or less serious re-assaults by the perpetrator. The results suggest that, in the short term, TROs have a mainly positive effect on both victims and perpetrators.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For reasons of clarity, the terms “perpetrator” (the person removed from the home) and “victim” (the person who remains in the home) are used in this article, although this might do no justice to the real situation, because of the high occurrence of mutual violence (see also Archer 2002).

  2. In Amsterdam, the people involved in the TRO domestic violence cases are called ‘the stay-behind’ and ‘the removed’, because of the high occurrence of mutual violence (see also Archer 2002).

  3. In two of these families, both victim and perpetrator were interviewed; in the other cases, only the victim (a parent) was interviewed.

  4. Questions with respect to the influence were not discussed with one of the perpetrators due to his limited time.

References

  • Alhabib, S., Nur, U., & Jones, R. (2010). Domestic violence against women: Systematic review. Journal of Family Violence, 25, 369–382. doi:10.1007/s10896-009-9298-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldarondo, E., & Castro Fernandez, M. (2008). Intimate partner violence and recidivism following interventions with men who batter: Cultural and empirical considerations. In R. Carillo & J. Tello (Eds.), Family violence and men of color (pp. 1–36). New York: Springer publishing company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apsler, R., Cummins, M. R., & Carl, S. (2003). Perceptions of the police by female victims of domestic violence. Violence Against Women, 9, 1318–1335. doi:10.1177/1077801203255554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Araujo, K., Guzmán, V., & Mauro, A. (2000). How domestic violence came to be viewed as a public issue and policy object. CEPAL Review, 70, 137–150. Retrieved from http://www.eclac.cl/publicaciones/xml/8/20008/lcg2095i_Araujo.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archer, J. (2002). Sex differences in physically aggressive acts between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7, 313–351. doi:10.1016/S1359-1789(01)00061-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Archer, J. (2006). Cross-cultural differences in physical aggression between partners: A social role analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 1(2), 133–153. doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr1002_3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballif-Spanvill, B., Clayton, C. J., & Hendrix, S. B. (2007). Witness and nonwitness children’s violent and peaceful behavior in different types of simulated conflict with peers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77, 206–215. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.2.206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benitez, C. H. T., McNiel, D. E., & Binder, R. L. (2010). Do protection orders protect? The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, 38, 376–385. Retrieved from: http://www.jaapl.org/content/38/3/376.full.pdf + html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boeije, H. (2005). Analyseren in kwalitatief onderzoek: Denken en doen [Analyses in qualitative research: Thinking and doing]. Den Haag: Boom.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. C. (2004). Helping women understand their risk in situations of intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(12), 1464–1477. doi:10.1177/0886260504269698.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. C. (2005). Assessing dangerousness in domestic violence cases: History, challenges and opportunities. Criminology & Public Policy, 4(4), 653–672. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2005.00350.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chrisler, J. C., & Ferguson, S. (2006). Violence against women as a public health issue. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1087, 235–249. doi:10.1196/annals.1385.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Engle Merry, S. (2011). Gender violence: A cultural perspective. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Moreno, C., Heise, L., Jansen, H. A. F. M., Ellsberg, M., & Watts, C. H. (2005). Violence against women. Science, 310(5752), 1282–1283. doi:10.1126/science.1121400.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Moreno, C., Jansen, H. A. F. M., Ellsberg, M., Heise, L., & Watts, C. H. (2006). Prevalence of intimate partner violence: Findings from the WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence. Lancet, 368(9543), 1260–1269. doi:10.1037/1524-9220.2.2.75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, L., & Epstein, E. (2005). Refocusing on women: A new direction for policy and research on intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 479–487. doi:10.1177/0886260504267838.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, R. (1983). An operational classification of disease prevention. Public Health Reports, 98, 107–109.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haller, B. (2006). CAHR Country report Austria. Budapest: Paper presented at the Good practice in Tackling Violence against Women and Children. European Research & Practice Conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haller, B., Pelikan, C., & Smutney, P. (2004). The Austrian protection against domestic violence act 1996. In Council of Europe (Ed.), Crime policy in Europe. Good practices and promising examples (pp. 37–46). Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, A., Garcia-Moreno, C., & Butchart, A. (2007). Primary prevention of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence: Background paper for WHO expert meeting May 2–3, 2007. Paper presented at the WHO expert meeting. Paper retrieved from http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/IPV-SV.pdf

  • Hines, D. A., & Malley-Morrison, K. (2001). Psychological effects of partner abuse against men: A neglected area. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 2(2), 75–85. doi:10.1037/1524-9220.2.2.75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holt, V. L., Kernic, M. A., Wolf, M. E., & Rivara, F. P. (2003). Do protection orders affect the likelihood of future partner violence and injury? American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(1), 16–21. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00576-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Irwin, J., Waugh, F., & Wilkinson, M. (1999). Paper presented at the second Australasian women and policing conference. Queensland: Paper retrieved from http://www.aic.gov.au/events/aic%20upcoming%20events/1999/~/media/conferences/policewomen2/irwin2.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanuha, V. K., & Ross, M. L. (2004). The use of temporary restraining orders (TRO’s) as a strategy to address intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 19, 343–356. doi:10.1891/vivi.19.3.343.65766.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kennair, N., & Mellor, D. (2007). Parent abuse: A review. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 38(3), 203–219. doi:10.1007/s10578-007-0061-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kernic, M. A., Wolf, M. E., Holt, V. L., McKnight, B., Huebner, C. E., & Rivara, F. P. (2003). Behavioral problems among children whose mothers are abused by an intimate partner. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 1231–1246. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2002.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2008a). Wet van 9 oktober 2008, houdende regels strekkende tot het opleggen van een tijdelijk huisverbod aan personen van wie een ernstige dreiging van huiselijk geweld uitgaat (Wet tijdelijk huisverbod) [Law of 9th of October, rules concerning the issuing of a temporary restraining order to persons who seem to pose a serious threat of domestic violence]. Staatsblad 421 [state journal].

  • Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2008b). Besluit van 18 November 2008 tot vaststelling van het tijdstip van inwerkingtreding van de Wet tijdelijk huisverbod [Decree of 18th of November concerning the start date of the Law Temporary Restraining Order]. Staatsblad 484 [state journal].

  • Kuppens, J., & Beke, B. (2008). Huisverbod, sleutel tot minder geweld?: aanzet tot een risicotaxatie-instrument huiselijk geweld [Restraining order, key to less violence?: Initial impetus to a risk assessment instrument domestic violence]. Amsterdam: SWP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindstrom, P. (2005). Violence against women in Scandinavia: A description and evaluation of two new laws aiming to protect women. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 5(2), 220–235. doi:10.1080/14043850410010720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Logan, T. K., Shannon, L., Walker, R., & Faragher, T. M. (2006). Protective orders: Questions and conundrums. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 7(3), 175–205. doi:10.1177/1524838006288930.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Logar, R. (2005). The Austrian model of intervention in domestic violence cases. Paper presented at the expert group meeting “violence against women: Good practices in combating and eliminating violence against women”, division for the Advancement of Women. Paper retrieved from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw-gp-2005/docs/experts/logar.dv.pdf

  • Lünnemann, K. D., Tak, P. J. P., & Piechocki, D. J. G. (2002). Interventie door uithuisplaatsing: de juridische mogelijkheden van uithuisplaatsing van plegers van huiselijk geweld in Oostenrijk en Duitsland [intervention by eviction: The legal arrangement of eviction in cases of domestic violence in Austria and Germany]. Utrecht: Verwey-Jonker Instituut.

  • Micucci, J. A. (1995). Adolescents who assault their parents: A family systems approach to treatment. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 32(1), 154–161. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.32.1.154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministerie van Justitie. (2002). Privé geweld - publieke zaak: een nota voor de gezamenlijke aanpak van huiselijk geweld [Private violence- Public matter: A note for a joint approach to handle domestic violence]. Den Haag: Ministry of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministerie van Justitie. (2009). Huiselijk geweld [Domestic violence]. Den Haag: Ministerie van Justitie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oosterlee, A., Vink, R. M., & Smit, F. (2009). Prevalence of family violence in adults and children: Estimates using the capture-recapture method. European Journal of Public Health, 19(6), 586–591. doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp065.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, R., Moracco, K. E., Goldstein, K. E., & Andersen Clark, K. (2005). Moving beyond disclosure: Women’s perspectives on barriers and motivators to seeking assistance for intimate partner violence. Women & Health, 40(3), 63–76. doi:10.1300/J013v40n03_05.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randle, A. A., & Graham, C. A. (2011). A review of the evidence on the effects of intimate partner violence on men. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 12(2), 97–111. doi:10.1037/a0021944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez, M., Valentine, J. M., Son, J. B., & Muhammad, M. (2009). Intimate partner violence and barriers to mental health care for ethnically diverse populations of women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10, 358–374. doi:10.1177/1524838009339756.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandelowski, M. (2001). Real qualitative researchers do not count: The use of numbers in qualitative research. Research in Nursing & Health, 24(3), 230–240. doi:10.1002/nur.1025.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stith, S. M., Rosen, K. H., Middleton, K. A., Busch, A. L., Lundeberg, K., & Carlton, R. P. (2000). The Intergenerational transmission of spouse abuse: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 640–654. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00640.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strand, S. (2012). Using a restraining order as a protective risk management strategy to prevent intimate partner violence. Police Practice and Research, 13(3), 254–266. doi:10.1080/15614263.2011.607649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Dijk, T., Flight, S., Oppenhuis, E., & Duesmann, B. (1998). Domestic violence: A national study of the nature, size and effects of domestic violence in the Netherlands. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 6(1), 7–35. doi:10.1023/A:1008661910442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Rooij, F. B., ten Haaf, J., Segeren, M., & Krol, A. (2010). Het tijdelijk huisverbod in Amsterdam: een onderzoek naar kenmerken, toeleiding naar zorg en ervaringen van zowel betrokkenen als professionals in 2009 [The temporary restraining order in Amsterdam: A study into characteristics, guidance to care and experiences of involved people and professionals]. Amsterdam: Public Health Service.

  • Van Rooij, F. B., Van Balen, F., & Hermanns, J. M. A. (2009). The experiences of involuntarily childless Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands. Qualitative Health Research, 19(5), 621–632. doi:10.1177/1049732309333242.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verbi Software, 2007.

  • Watkins, P. (2005). Police perspective: Discovering hidden truths in domestic violence interventions. Journal of Family Violence, 20(1), 47–54. doi:10.1007/s10896-005-1509-z.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wisner, C. L., Gilmer, T. P., Saltzman, L. E., & Zink, T. M. (1999). Intimate partner violence against women; do victims costs health plans more? The Journal of Family Practice, 48(6), 439–444.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94208, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Floor B. van Rooij & Arnoud P. Verhoeff

  2. Mental Health Prevention, GGZ Centraal, Lelystad, the Netherlands

    Jose ten Haaf

  3. The Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Arnoud P. Verhoeff

Authors
  1. Floor B. van Rooij
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jose ten Haaf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Arnoud P. Verhoeff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Floor B. van Rooij.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Rooij, F.B., ten Haaf, J. & Verhoeff, A.P. Temporary Restraining Orders in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Examination of Perpetrator and Victim Views. J Fam Viol 28, 503–514 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9520-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9520-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation