From Isolation to Connection: The Practices and Promise of Disclosed Location, Open-Access Domestic Violence Shelters

Domestic violence shelters within the U.S. frequently employ two policies that have the unintended negative consequence of re-creating the very coercive control survivors are escaping. These include strict secrecy regarding shelter location, and prohibitions on shelter access to all except staff and residents. As a result, many survivors find shelters worse than the abuse itself. In response to these concerns, a small but growing group of shelters have broken from tradition by disclosing their locations and allowing visitors. This study explored the nature and impact of these innovative efforts.

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