NCJ Number
226708
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 159-171
Date Published
April 2009
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Using Canadian national data, this study examined the police reporting decisions of married and cohabiting victims of intimate partner violence (IPV).
Abstract
The study found that IPV victims who contacted the police more often lived in a cohabiting relationship in which children were in the home. Women who were members of a visible racial/ethnic minority also called the police more often, which was not predicted by the researchers. Also, women who called the police were more likely to have experienced severe forms or threats of violence including threats with weapons and property destruction. Income, education, and employment status apparently did not influence women IPV victims’ decision to report their abuse to the police. Data were obtained from the 1999 Canadian General Social Survey, Victimization. The final sample for the survey consisted of 25,876 Canadian men and women (15 years old and over). Although the total population sample included both women and men, the current research included only the reporting behavior of female IPV victims. The survey collected detailed information on the most recent incident of IPV (12 months prior to the survey), as well as victimization within the last 5 years. The dependent variable was victim-initiated police notification about an IPV incident. Independent incident-specific variables included injury, hospital stay, medical attention, abuser’s alcohol consumption, fear for life, children witnessing the violence, weapon use, damaged property, and receiving an injury. Data on demographic variables were also obtained. 3 tables and 85 references