NCJ Number
142437
Date Published
1992
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Rapid police response to victims of violence between intimates may be an important way of preventing injuries, and this cross-sectional analysis of the 1986-1990 National Crime Survey looked at whether such victims are more likely to call the police and the police are more likely to respond and make an arrest if the victim has been seriously injured.
Abstract
A total of 1,896 incidents of violence between intimates were identified that involved 1,074 individuals. The relation between injury severity and the following police contact categories were assessed: whether the police were called to the incident scene, who called the police, whether the police came to the incident scene, how quickly the police responded, whether the victim signed a complaint, and whether an arrest was made. Three injury categories were defined: victims injured to the extent that medical treatment was obtained (N=461), victims injured but not seeking medical care (N=624), and victims not injured (N=808). Victims who sustained injuries requiring medical care, compared with noninjured victims, were twice as likely to report that the police were called, 60 percent more likely to report that the police came, 90 percent more likely to report that the police made an arrest, and twice as likely to report that the police made contact following the incident. Although injury severity was significantly associated with police contact and response, it was not associated with more rapid police response time. 9 references and 3 tables