United States: Information on the protection available for women in Arkansas who are threatened with violence and the abduction of their children by their spouses
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | USA28503.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, United States: Information on the protection available for women in Arkansas who are threatened with violence and the abduction of their children by their spouses, 1 January 1998, USA28503.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac5ac.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please see the attachment from the office of the Project Coordinator, Rape and Domestic Violence, of the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence dated 15 January 1998 for a brief summary of the Arkansas domestic violence law (Arkansas Domestic Abuse Act of 1991).
According to an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette report of 11 August 1997, nearly 300 orders of protection were issued in Benton County to date while in the whole of 1996 only 408 were issued. An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette report of 10 February 1997 indicates that the situation was similar in Pulaski County where "the number of protective orders sought increased 13-fold from 1990 to 1996, from 126 to 1,673".
The increase in protective orders has placed more demand on womens shelters (ibid.). In a telephone interview of 16 January 1998, a representative of the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence stated that shelters exist in all 75 counties in Arkansas but not all counties could provide shelters exclusively for victims of domestic violence. There are many poor counties in Arkansas and Arkansas is not a wealthy state. Please see the attached articles for more information on shelters for victims of domestic violence in Arkansas.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 11 August 1997. Michelle Bradford. "Benton County has Plans for Domestic Bullies." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 February 1997. Olivier Uyttebrouck. "Abuse Relief is a 2-Way Street: Women's Shelters, Sometimes at Odds, Use Different Paths." (NEXIS)
Office of the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence. 16 January 1998. Telephone interview with the Project Coordinator, Rape and Domestic Violence.
Attachments
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 11 August 1997. Michelle Bradford. "Benton County has Plans for Domestic Bullies." (NEXIS)
_____. 14 May 1997. Kevin Freking. "State Axes Money for Women's Shelters: Federal Cuts Lead to Loss of Funding to 26 Havens for Battered Spouses." (NEXIS)
_____. 10 February 1997. Olivier Uyttebrouck. "Abuse Relief is a 2-Way Street: Women's Shelters, Sometimes at Odds, Use Different Paths." (NEXIS)
Office of the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence. 15 January 1998. Letter to the Research Directorate from the Project Coordinator, Rape and Domestic Violence.
Additional Sources Consulted
Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News Connection (WNC).
