NCJ Number
129482
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the nature and extent of domestic violence concludes that addressing the problem will require complex solutions but that arrest of the perpetrator seems to offer the best hope for reducing the problem.
Abstract
Battering includes a wide range of behavior, and some form of violence occurs in one-fourth of all marriages. Most spouse abuse involves men beating women. The police are the first responders to many abuse situations, but until recently they have been slow to take action to protect women and children. A workable approach would include allowing police to make arrests for misdemeanor assaults that did not occur in their presence, the adoption of policies that mandate arrest if evidence of abuse is clear, and defining victims as anyone with whom the batterer has lived currently or in the past. Arresting the offender is a societal statement that the behavior is a crime, that it must stop, that punishment will follow, and that it is sensible to obtain treatment to avoid repeating the behavior. However, a program will fail unless all elements of the criminal justice system cooperate with one another. Treatment programs are also crucial. The system must also be sensitive to victims' needs if it is to obtain their testimony. Much progress has been made in these areas, but much remains to be done. 13 references