NCJ Number
231722
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2010 Pages: 453-459
Date Published
July 2010
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined Taiwanese female and male police officers' perceptions of handling domestic violence.
Abstract
Specifically, it assessed officers' attitudes toward whether female officers, male officers, or a combination of female and male officers are more suited for handling cases of battered women, offenders, and domestic violence overall. Survey data were collected from 96 female and 156 male officers from 2 police departments in Taiwan. Frequency distributions showed that a combination of male and female officers were most preferred by officers for handling abused women, offenders, and domestic violence overall. Regression analysis found that female officers were significantly more likely than male officers to favor a combination of male and female officers over female officers alone for handling battered women. Female officers were found to be more likely than male officers to favor male over female officers and a combination of male and female officers for handling offenders. Police supervisors' attitudes toward domestic violence also influenced officers' attitudes toward who is more suited for handling offenders. Implications for future research and policy are discussed. (Published Abstract)