Frontiers in Psychology (Feb 2023)

Impact evaluation and economic benefit analysis of a domestic violence and abuse UK police intervention

  • Yiannis Karavias,
  • Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay,
  • Christine Christie,
  • Caroline Bradbury-Jones,
  • Caroline Bradbury-Jones,
  • Julie Taylor,
  • Julie Taylor,
  • Eddie Kane,
  • Heather D. Flowe

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1063701
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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This study evaluated the impact and economic benefit of Cautioning and Relationship Abuse (CARA), an intervention which aims to reduce re-offending of first-time low-level domestic violence and abuse perpetrators. The analysis was based on two samples drawn from separate UK police force areas. CARA’s impact was assessed using a matched sample of similar offenders from a time when CARA was not available. The matching was based on a host of offender and victim characteristics and machine learning methods were employed. The results show that the CARA intervention has a significant impact on the amount of recidivism but no significant reduction in the severity of the crimes. The benefit-cost ratio in both police force areas is greater than one and estimated to be 2.75 and 11.1, respectively, across the two police force areas. Thus, for each pound (£) invested in CARA, there is an economic benefit of 2.75–11.1 pounds, annually.

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