Policing Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Areas and Small Towns: Policies, Practices, and Perceptions

• NCJ Number: 232421
• Journal: Women & Criminal Justice Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: October-December 2010 Pages: 283-301
• Author(s): Joseph A. Schafer; Matthew J. Giblin
• Date Published: October 2010
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey; Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the policing of intimate partner violence in rural areas.

Abstract

The extant literature has given only limited consideration to the adoption of intimate partner violence policies and procedures on the part of police organizations, particularly in rural areas and small towns. Using survey data from police agencies in the southern regions of Illinois, this study found that although policies were nearly universal, specific elements varied. Agencies relied heavily on conferences and other departments in formulating their policies, making less use of recommendations from professional associations or the salient literature. The findings suggest variation in how intimate partner violence is perceived and policed in rural areas and small towns while highlighting some of the challenges agencies encounter in addressing this offense within their jurisdictions. (Published Abstract)