The effectiveness of Italian measures in facilitating complaints for domestic violence: a regional analysis

Purpose Most of the international literature on Violence Against Women (VAW) provides inconclusive evidence on the ineffectiveness of judicial measures against VAW, thus suggesting the convenience of shifting to extra-judicial measures or integrating both approaches in a comprehensive response to VAW. The present work analyzes the effectiveness of two Italian extrajudicial measures, i.e. Codice Rosa and the Antistalking Helpdesk, on complaints for domestic violence (battering, criminal injuries and psychological violence). Both policies increase the local availability of specialized VAW support services. Design/methodology/approach The work relies on the heterogeneity of implementation year across Italian regions to adopt a staggered approach. Difference-in-differences framework and assess the effectiveness of the two policies. Findings The introduction of Codice Rosa, a special procedure that deals with VAW within the normal hospital/ER care routine, seems to be effective in increasing domestic violence reporting differently from the Antistalking Helpdesk in a special separate structure, as is the local Antiviolence Center, voluntarily accessed by women. Originality/value Existing international evidence on the causal impact of extrajudicial measures on violence reporting is still limited, and to the best of our knowledge, the Italian case has not yet been considered. The convergence of positive results from both this study on Codice Rosa and Sviatschi and Trako’s (2024) work on Peru’s Women’s Justice Centers underscores the critical need for comprehensive and integrated responses to VAW