Domestic Violence Victims' Behavior in Favor of Prosecution: Effects of Gender Relations

• NCJ Number: 190455
• Journal: Women & Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: 2001 Pages: 51-76
• Author(s): Hoan N. Bui
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 26 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined how economic, emotional, and social-power factors affected victims' behavior in favor of prosecution during police investigations.

Abstract

The study used a random sample selected from domestic violence cases reported to the Arlington Police Department (Texas) during the first 6 months of 1997. The study included cases that involved husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, ex-husbands and ex-wives, as well as ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends. For the purpose of the study, only cases in which the victims were female were selected. A total of 126 cases composed the sample. The findings supported the hypothesis that women who were charged with mutual combat and who were arrested were less likely to take steps to promote prosecution. These findings suggest that women who were charged with mutual combat and who were arrested may believe that they were at fault for stepping out of the norm of women's subordination and for contributing to the incidents. Moreover, mutual combat and dual arrest placed women victims in an adversarial position, contrary to the position of persons in need of police protection. Under the norm of unequal gender relationships, the normative definition of femininity combined with an indiscriminate use of mutual charge and dual arrest without considering the defensive or offensive nature of violent acts may reduce trust in the criminal justice system among women victims of domestic violence and decrease the victim's interest in pursuing prosecution. Another study hypothesis was that women who were living with their intimate partners were less likely than those who were not to take steps to promote prosecution. This hypothesis was partially supported; cohabitation significantly decreased the likelihood of desiring a prosecution, but it did not have effects on other indicators of victims' behavior in favor of prosecution. Data also indicated that victims' concern for their safety had a positive impact on their decisions to take steps to promote prosecution. The hypothesis that unemployed women and women with minor children were less likely to take steps to promote prosecution was not supported. 5 tables, 8 notes, and 46 references