NCJ Number
234114
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2010 Pages: 526-535
Date Published
2010
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study investigated law enforcement's response to same-sex domestic violence.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine police officers' general knowledge, experience and training in the area of same-sex domestic violence. A survey was administered to 91 police officers from 5 towns in Illinois. The study revealed that a majority of officers had encountered at least one same-sex domestic violence call within the last 6 months. In contrast, officers reported very little training in their departments regarding this issue. While previous research studies suggest that same-sex domestic violence and opposite-sex domestic violence have a roughly equivalent frequency rate, the current study finds that police officers are encountering same-sex domestic violence on a regular basis. However, a lack of training may render cases of same-sex violence more difficult for officers, as training in same-sex violence is not as readily available as is training for opposite-sex violence. (Published Abstract) Figure, tables, and references