NCJ Number
219560
Date Published
February 2007
Length
82 pages
Annotation
This law enforcement guide describes the problem of domestic violence and factors contributing to domestic violence, a discussion on how to understand the local problem of domestic violence, and responses to the problem of domestic violence.
Abstract
This guide, developed under Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and one in the Problem-Specific Guides Series, begins by describing the problem of domestic violence and reviewing factors that increase its risks, such as age, socioeconomic status, race, repeat victimization, incarceration of offenders, termination of the relationship, and pregnancy. It identifies a series of questions to help analyze the local domestic violence problem. It concludes by reviewing responses to the problem and what is known about these from evaluative research and police practice. Responses to the problem range from general, such as implementing a comprehensive and collaborative response strategy and tailoring the police response on the basis of offender and victim risk to specific, such as educating potential victims and offenders, encouraging domestic violence victims and witnesses to call the police, providing victims with emergency protection and services after an assault, arresting offenders, establishing special domestic violence courts, and providing treatment for batterers. Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. Many domestic disputes do not involve violence; this guide discusses those that do, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. Appendix and references