NCJ Number
239789
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 8 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 1559-1578
Date Published
May 2011
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the disparities in arrest outcomes for domestic assaults between heterosexual adults based on sex.
Abstract
Domestic violence arrests have been historically focused on protecting women and children from abusive men. Arrest patterns continue to reflect this bias with more men arrested for domestic violence compared to women. Such potential gender variations in arrest patterns pave the way to the investigation of disparities by sex of the offender in domestic violence arrests. This study utilizes data from a quantitative dataset that includes responses by police officers who completed a specially mandated checklist after responding to a domestic dispute. The results showed that while females are arrested quite often in domestic disputes, there remains a significant difference in the arrest outcome whereby male suspects were more likely to be arrested than female suspects. Regression models further indicated differences based on sex and certain predictors of arrest, which supported sex-based rationales in arrests for domestic violence. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.