The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is partnering with several agencies in Guilford County to learn more from survivors of abusive relationships.

UNCG is conducting research to find out how survivors are using domestic violence programs in the county, while helping to identify program shortfalls. Jackie White, Associate Dean for Research at UNCG, said researchers are looking for survivors to share their experiences.

"At this point we are planning to interview ten survivors. During the interview, which we think will take about an hour, we are asking the survivors to talk about the various systems that they used. We are not interested in the abuse experience itself but what services they accessed and which ones they had difficulty working with and our goal is to develop some recommendations on how those services might be improved," said White.

White is leading the study and says around 14 service providers, including the Greensboro Police Department, the Guilford County Health Department and Family Service of the Piedmont Triad are participating in the research project. She said developing more community support for families dealing with domestic violence is crucial.

"Domestic violence is one of the major causes of emergency room visits for women, and based on the latest statistics that we have, it looks like about 130-some homicides in North Carolina in 2008 were a direct result of domestic violence. In 2008, Guilford and Forsyth counties had the second highest number of domestic violence homicides in the state behind Mecklenburg," said White.

The domestic violence research project concludes on March 31. Participants will receive a $25 gift card.