NCJ Number
138493
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 83 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 217-240
Date Published
1992
Length
24 pages
Annotation
The findings from studies on the comparative deterrence effectiveness of the arrest of suspected spouse abusers suggest that arrest alone, apart from supportive prosecutorial and judicial action as well as comprehensive community services for victim protection and abuser treatment, will not be effective in protecting victims or terminating abusers' violent behavior.
Abstract
Although the Minneapolis study indicates that arrest of alleged spouse abusers is a more effective deterrent to continued violence than less aggressive police responses, subsequent studies that replicate the Minneapolis study are more equivocal about the deterrence effectiveness of arrest. Some data even indicate that arrest correlates with an escalation of subsequent violence. None of the data, however, should be used to support a policy of nonarrest. In cases where it can be reasonably predicted that an abuser may become more violent to the spouse after an arrest, prosecution and sentencing should ensure that the victim is protected. By no means should criminal justice intervention be lessened or relaxed, given the danger to the victim. Data do suggest that aggressive criminal justice action alone is not sufficient to stop spouse abuse. All mechanisms for social control and behavioral change should be coordinated through legislation and governmental policy to protect victims from further harm and terminate abusers' violent behavior. 66 footnotes