NCJ Number
71079
Date Published
1980
Length
219 pages
Annotation
This 1979 study of police response to spouse abuse calls reveals that the quality of this response varies widely and that the traditional emphasis on reconciling the parties does not deter spouse abuse.
Abstract
The study involved 17 police departments, interviews with or surveys of over 180 officers and police managers, and discussions with social scientists, social service professionals, members of women's rights groups, and attorneys. A previous telephone survey indicated that only 10 percent of 881 violence incidents were reported by abused wives and that police made arrests in only 41 percent of reported incidents. However, recent changes in state laws, as well as recent court rulings, demand stricter treatment of abusing husbands by police. In a survey of 130 police officers about conditions under which they were likely to arrest spouse abusers, 19 percent admitted to avoiding arrests whenever possible and 28 percent said they were most likely to make an arrest if a crime was committed or if violence seemed likely to recur. Officers listed serious injury to the victim, violence against police officers, use of a weapon, and commission of a felony as reasons for making arrests. Reasons for not making arrests included victims' tendency to drop charges or refusal to press charges, lack of serious injury to the victim, and presence of an intoxicated victim or assailant. Furthermore, officers found spouse abuse calls frustrating due to their lack of training for responding to such calls, lack of clear police agency policy on spouse abuse, and lack of knowledge about social services for referrals. Moreover, they found crisis intervention training unhelpful, and possibly harmful, in dealing with violent spouse conflicts. A new police response is needed to protect the victims and to ensure officer safety. Such a response would include the development of a policy statement to guide officers in handling spouse abuse and wife beating cases, the development and monitoring of operational procedures for such cases, and relevant police education and training. Five appendixes cover sample domestic violence legislation from Pennsylvania, a cycle theory of battering, police officer survey materials, the Oakland (California) police department's summary policy statement on domestic violence, other forms from the Oakland and Cleveland police departments concerning domestic violence, and a listing of domestic violence films and suggested readings. Tables, footnotes, and a bibliography of 79 citations are included.