The School of Social Work hosts several research labs and centers, one of which is the Violence Prevention Research Lab. Directed by Dr. Rachel Garthe, Associate Professor of Social Work, the lab studies the development and prevention of dating violence/intimate partner violence, bullying, cyber-victimization, stalking, sexual violence, and other forms of violence during adolescence and young adulthood.

“The work conducted in the Violence Prevention Research Lab directly contributes to understanding and addressing domestic violence in real-world contexts by grounding research in the needs and experiences of community partners,” say lab members Apoorva Nag (PhD student) and Haley Miller (BSW ’22, MSW ‘23). “Our lab actively collaborates with state and government agencies to support service provision, guide grant implementation, and assist in the development and refinement of policies used by violence prevention organizations. These partnerships ensure that our research is both responsive to and informed by the challenges faced by practitioners on the ground.”

The lab also collaborates with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) and plays a central role in bridging research and practice. “Together, we plan, promote, and implement the 40-Hour Domestic Violence Training at the School of Social Work. Through this training, we help equip future social workers, advocates, and community professionals with evidence-informed knowledge and skills that directly enhance the quality of services provided to survivors across Illinois.”

Haley was inspired to get involved in research after completing a direct-client internship during her BSW program. “I realized that there were systems in place that negatively impacted the populations I was serving that were completely out of my control,” she says. “Then began a passion for improving these systems which in turn would help vulnerable communities. I specialized in Leadership and Social Change during my MSW program where I was able to ground my research in violence prevention. By working with the lab, I have learned about the interprofessional workings that come along with domestic violence prevention. I realized that to prevent domestic violence, all agencies and systems must work together to combat it.”

For Apoorva, her interest in research began during her undergraduate studies in psychology. She describes how she “became fascinated by the process of critically examining social issues and exploring ways to address them.”

“Violence prevention resonated deeply with me,” she says. “Growing up in India, violence against women was both widespread and often treated as a normalized part of society. Through my coursework, I began questioning these norms and became motivated to understand the structural conditions that allow such violence to persist. This curiosity led me to pursue a master’s degree and eventually a PhD, where I could study these issues more deeply and contribute to meaningful change. Working in the Violence Prevention Research Lab has further strengthened my commitment to this work. It has helped me refine my research interests and, importantly, taught me how to center survivors’ experiences in all aspects of my research so that the knowledge we produce can lead to real-world impact.”

Research often leads to change, whether through policy, education, or awareness. The lab works on several focus group projects aiming to deliver real-world impact. Recently in partnership with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the lab conducted focus groups with survivors across the state to better understand their experiences with service provision.

“These insights help inform agencies about what supports are working well and where improvements are needed, ultimately strengthening services for survivors,” say Apoorva and Haley. “We also partnered with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to facilitate focus groups with grantees who receive violence prevention funding,” they continue. “Participants were asked about how ICJIA could make grant writing, implementation, and reporting processes more equitable. After coding and analyzing the data, we developed a report outlining key recommendations. These findings directly shaped the goals of the 2025–2029 Statewide Violence Prevention Plan, ensuring that the concerns and needs identified by grantees were incorporated into statewide prevention efforts.”

Domestic violence can be, and often is, shrouded by misconceptions. “Some of the most persistent misconceptions about domestic violence include assumptions such as: “Why don’t they just leave?”, the belief that men cannot be victims, and the idea that intimate partner violence does not occur in same-sex relationships,” Apoorva and Haley describe. “People also often assume that survivors have the resources to leave easily, or that an abusive partner who appears kind to outsiders could not be harming someone at home.

Other misunderstandings include the belief that survivors stay because they do not care about their children, or that shelters universally accept children and pets. These misconceptions obscure the complex realities survivors face and make it more difficult for the public to understand why leaving an abusive relationship is often far from simple.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call or text the Illinois Domestic Violence hotline 24/7 at 877-863-6338 (877-TO END DV).