NCJ Number
104291
Date Published
1985
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report presents data on spousal assaults reported to the Maryland State Police by 131 police agencies for the period January 1980 through December 1984.
Abstract
The report defines what constitutes a battered spouse under Maryland's Uniform Crime Report (UCR) program. Tables show 5-year trends in assaults, assaults according to days of the week, numbers of aggravated assaults, types of weapons used in assaults, race of victims, household status of victims, and circumstances of the assault. Other statistical data address clearance rates for spousal assault cases, battered spouse cases by county, aggravated versus nonaggravated assaults, and domestic assaults on military bases. Overall, 10,185 spousal assaults were reported to law enforcement agencies during 1984, a 19.3-percent increase over 1983. Aggravated assaults comprised 24 percent of the total in 1984. Over half the assaults occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The report notes that the UCR program does not address the need for specific categorical information and that an incident-based reporting system is the only means to meet special requests regarding crime in the community.