NCJ Number
52881
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDS IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., WERE EXAMINED FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1, 1974, THROUGH JUNE 30, 1975, TO DETERMINE THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE BATTERED WOMAN PROBLEM. CRISIS CENTERS ARE RECOMMENDED.
Abstract
DURING THE STUDY PERIOD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDED 21,909 CRIMES, OF WHICH 4,537 WERE ASSAULTS, AND 790 WERE ASSAULTS AGAINST WOMEN BY HUSBANDS, EX-HUSBANDS, OR BOYFRIENDS. THIS IS A 3.6 PERCENT OF ALL OFFENSES. RAPES, ACCOUNTED FOR 1.7 PERCENT OF ALL OFFENSES AND FEMALE VICTIMS OF ASSAULTS BY STRANGERS, 1.2 PERCENT. SINCE ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF ALL ASSAULTS ARE REPORTED TO THE POLICE, AND SINCE DOMESTIC ASSAULTS HAVE A LOWER REPORTING RATE THAN MOST CRIMES, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 2,220 WOMEN WERE ACTUALLY BATTERED DURING THE YEAR. THE STUDY FOUND THAT MOST REPORTED CASES WERE NEAR THE CENTER OF THE CITY, 59.5 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN WERE 18 THROUGH 29 YEARS AND 72.6 PERCENT WERE AGED 18 THROUGH 35, AND THAT MINORITY WOMEN WERE OVERREPRESENTED. BLACK WOMEN, WHO MAKE UP 4 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, ACCOUNTED FOR 24.9 PERCENT OF THE REPORTS. AMERICAN INDIANS MAKE UP 1 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, ACCOUNTED FOR 10.3 PERCENT OF THE REPORTS. THE DATA ALSO INDICATED A NUMBER OF CROSS-RACIAL ASSAULTS. THE CRIMES WERE SPREAD EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, BUT WERE CONCENTRATED DURING THE EVENING HOURS. TABLES AND MAPS PRESENT STUDY DATA. THE STUDY RESULTS ARE USED TO RECOMMEND 24-HOUR CRISIS CENTERS LOCATED NEAR THE CENTER OF THE CITY. (GLR)