Police and Spouse Abuse - A Review of Recent Findings

• NCJ Number: 99886
• Journal: Police Studies Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1985) Pages: 163-172
• Author(s): R J Homant
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A review of recent studies of the police response to spouse abuse indicates that about two-thirds of the police have positive attitudes toward involvement in domestic disputes, and about two-thirds of victims see police as at least somewhat helpful.

Abstract

Although arrest rates remain low, there is evidence that arrest rates can be raised dramatically, and that arrest does have a deterrent effect. The main problems at the present time are establishing policy for arrest in misdemeanor domestic assaults, and integrating a crisis intervention approach without undermining strategies for increasing the arrest rate. There is some evidence that police do not see arrest and crisis intervention as contradictory, and that a combined approach can be effective in motivating both victims and batterers to make positive changes. (Publisher abstract)