Abused women with children who are first-time users of a shelter or applicants for a protection order: entry data of a 7-year prospective analysis.

Worldwide, two models of care are offered most often to abused women-safe shelter and justice services. No evidence exists on the differential effectiveness of the services. To provide evidence, 300 abused women, 150 first-time users of a shelter and 150 first-time applicants for a protection order, signed informed consent to participate in a 7-year study. Safety, abuse, and functioning of the women and their children were measured. Compared with women seeking justice services, women in shelters reported more abuse and depression and less support. The baseline characteristics of these 300 women are presented with implications for practice and policy.