NCJ Number
129315
Date Published
1989
Length
62 pages
Annotation
This study reports on the impact of Wisconsin's 1988 mandatory arrest act 346, which requires police to arrest perpetrators of domestic violence when there is probable cause to believe an assault has occurred.
Abstract
The primary goal of the monitoring project, which was initiated in June 1989, was to determine the impact the new law has had on the safety and protection of domestic violence victims. Additional study goals included the assessment of the degree of accountability to which batterers were being held. The project also focused on how mandatory arrest has impacted women of color; older, battered women; and children. Nineteen counties in western Wisconsin were selected for the study site due to the diverse features of that region. The project included victim surveys, public surveys, key agency questionnaires, formal and informal interviews, policy collection and assessment, data collection and analysis, incident report forms, and anecdotal accounts. The study found that of the battered women who have had contact with police since April, 1989, the overwhelming majority reported they would not call the police again. This response was largely due to negative consequences derived from police action such as possible arrest of the woman for defending herself, retaliation from the abuser after his release from custody, and economic hardship on the family. The study does not recommend repeal of the mandatory arrest act, but rather recommends that its implementation be improved through appropriate police training in the handling of various domestic situations so as to ensure that victims are not worse off after the police action. Appended data, survey questionnaires, and supplementary material