NCJ Number
210195
Date Published
June 2004
Length
232 pages
Annotation
This report presents a trend analysis of domestic violence in New Mexico for the period 2001 through 2003.
Abstract
Data for the report were obtained from all district and magistrate courts in New Mexico on all domestic violence cases between January 2001 and December 2003. Data on children victim-witnesses and offenders serviced by domestic violence service providers were also analyzed. Section 1 of the report discusses the 2003 findings and the overall 3-year trends in domestic violence across the State. Section 2 presents tables on the trend analysis and relevant domestic violence variables for all counties in New Mexico while section 3 presents tables of these relevant variables by county. Findings indicate that during 2003, there were 25,644 domestic violence cases reported to law enforcement in New Mexico. This represents a 10 percent drop in victim identification from 2002 and a 15 percent drop in victim identification from 2001. This downward trend in identifying and reporting the number of victims in domestic violence cases may represent an increasing failure by law enforcement officers to correctly identify and record domestic violence victims. Characteristics of the cases and criminal justice outcomes are considered and recommendations are offered that include the suggestion to fund a statewide interpersonal violence victimization survey that captures unreported domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking victimizations. Definitions of domestic violence variables captured in this study are presented, as are the incidents of assault, aggravated assault, battery, and aggravated battery outlined in the “Crimes Against Household Members Act.” Tables, appendixes