Domestic violence is a hard issue to investigate and a complicated one to report. Yet increasingly, reporters are getting the message out that domestic violence is a crime and that there is help for victims. So why has the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) developed this handbook?

The goal of this handbook is for reporters to see a murder or other crime involving intimate partners through the lens of domestic violence. The handbook provides reporters with information about Rhode Island’s domestic violence law and an understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence. It also shares the lessons that the Coalition has learned through conversations with journalists, through its own work, through recommendations from survivors, and from a 3-year media study conducted by the Boston College Media Research Action Project. While the handbook focuses on the Coalition’s experience in Rhode Island, these experiences are similar to what happens in other states.

Our hope is that the process that began with this handbook will help advocates and survivors continue an important dialogue with those in the media. Reporters can make a difference in the lives of victims by lifting the veil of silence that allows domestic violence to go unchecked to the point of murder.

Chapters

• Domestic Violence Law (pdf)
  Learn about Rhode Island's Deomstic Violence Statute and law enforcement protocols for criminal cases.
• About Domestic Violence (pdf)
  Why do people batter and abuse their partners? Who are the victims? Who are the batterers? Learn the answers to these questions and more about the dynamics of domestic violence.
• Facts and Statistics
  Get the latest statistics on domestic violence in Rhode Island.
• Rhode Island Media Study (pdf)
  The study conducted from 1996 - 1999 reveals troubling trends in how domestic violence murders are covered by the media.
• Recommendations from Survivors (pdf)
  Read the perpective of survivors of domestic violence.
• Best Media Practices (pdf)
  Read recommendations from journalists and domestic violence professionals on the best practices in covering domestic vioelence.
• Materials to Publish (pdf)
  Materials that your media outlet can use as sidebars or supplementary material when covering a domestic violence case.