NCJ Number
210568
Date Published
June 2005
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined possible gender trends in court response to requests for protection from domestic violence victims.
Abstract
The majority of past research has examined court response to requests for protection of female requests with research on male requests virtually non-existent. This study examined the court’s response to similar allegations made by male and female victims of domestic abuse to compare and contrast court response to these allegations across gender boundaries. The study hypothesized that the courts would exhibit differing tendencies when responding to male versus female requests for protection. A two-part analysis was conducted involving all cases of domestic violence documented by accessible Abuse Prevention Orders filed in Gardner District Court in Massachusetts in 1997. Results of the study indicate that in this one court setting, male victims of domestic violence were not afforded the same protections as their female counterparts. Of particular concern, was the inequity in custody awards of minor children. None of the males in the study were able to secure custody of their minor children. Despite gender-neutral language of abuse prevention law, application of that law favors female plaintiffs. Tables, references