NCJ Number
102833
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This report provides information on domestic violence, its perpetrators, and the options available to judges in hearing and deciding these cases.
Abstract
Domestic violence occurs across all social, economic, and ethnic groups. For the batterer, violence provides an effective means of control for which the perpetrator usually goes unsanctioned. Economic dependence, fear of future violence, and lack of supports are among reasons victims remain in battering relationships. Until recently, domestic violence was considered a private family matter rather than a crime. Legislative reform, police proarrest strategies, and improved prosecutorial policies are beginning to change this situation. Judges play a crucial role in shaping community response to this problem. Judges can demand information from law enforcement agencies, talk to the parties involved in cases, provide protection for the victim as a condition of pretrial release, impose dispositions that address the victim's needs, and provide expert testimony in cases where the victim refuses to testify. A wide range of sentencing options exist, but all should aim at holding the offender responsible, ending the abusive behavior, and meeting the needs of the victim and family. Finally, judges can ensure that court orders and probation conditions are strictly enforced. 40 notes.