NCJ Number
138492
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 83 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 170-200
Date Published
1992
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes data from the Colorado Springs Spouse Abuse Experiment, which determined the deterrence effectiveness of four different police responses to spouse abuse.
Abstract
Suspects apprehended for misdemeanor spouse abuse were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with arrest of the suspect, an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with immediate crisis counseling for the suspect, an emergency order of protection only, or restoring order at the scene with no emergency order of protection. Outcome measures were obtained from official police data and from followup interviews with victims. Using Bayesian procedures to take previous experiments (Milwaukee and Omaha) into account, the balance of evidence supports a deterrent effect for arrest among "good-risk" (employed) offenders, who presumably have a lot to lose by being arrested. Among "bad- risk" (unemployed) offenders, the evidence was more equivocal for a "labeling effect," in which an arrest increases the likelihood of new violence. The authors advise that more replication data and analysis are required before definitive policy recommendations can be made on police policy and procedures for responding to domestic assault. 4 tables and 8 figures