All They Can Do ... Police Response to Battered Women's Complaints

• NCJ Number: 91973
• Author(s): D Reed; S Fischer; G K Kantor; K Karales
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 128 pages
• Corporate Author: Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group
• Sale Source: Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Price includes postage and handling.

Annotation

This study examined the interaction of the different parties involved in police/battered spouse contacts to produce a descriptive report of police and victims' attitudes and behavior and indicate possibilities for improved interaction.

Abstract

Derived from five suburban communities and two Chicago police districts, subjects were 34 police officers and 38 victims, who told interviewers what they had experienced or thought was important about the problem. Researchers also interviewed directors and staff of the major programs for battered women in the metropolitan area. Responses evidenced general agreement that domestic violence is a major social problem, but differed in style and attitude. Victims' comments were personal and specific; officers' general and noncommittal. For the victim, the incident was but one of many suffered without calling for police assistance; for the officers, the incident appeared to be a temporary and minor problem. Although police and victims diverged on when active police intervention becomes necessary in a domestic conflict, both were ambiguous about specifying that point, indicating that police and victims need to be better informed about what the law does not allow. Police discretionary practices in domestic violence incidents are often contrary to the needs of victims and fall outside the intention, if not the letter, of the law. Officers avoid use of arrest, imply judgments of guilt and innocence, and shortchange investigative procedures to avoid reporting paperwork. Furthermore, they lack knowledge about resources for victim referral. Victims need to know that they have a right to demand protection of the criminal justice system from a battering spouse; agencies should provide better information to battered wives on these rights. The public must be alerted to the plight of victims; police must recognize domestic violence as having the same gravity as other assault and battery offenses. Appendixes cite the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, a police training bulletin, and a 37-item bibliography.