NCJ Number
161084
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Dated: special issue (1995) Pages: 31-44
Date Published
1995
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Central to the debate about policing domestic violence is the idea that public safety is assured through the provision of police services, but many feminists believe battered women are not treated appropriately or adequately by the police.
Abstract
Research suggests that police officers sometimes act as the "second assailant" of women because women who complain of physical or sexual assault encounter police disbelief, impatience, and frustration. From the police perspective, domestic violence is a problem of using resources efficiently to protect women from future violence. From the feminist perspective, the failure of police to protect women indicates police allegiance with preserving a "male order." Reconciling these two perspectives is difficult, and efforts to improve police effectiveness have caused researchers to ask questions about the handling of domestic violence. Research on experimental policing solutions to domestic violence and on women's strategies to escape violence is reported, the deterrent effect of arresting violent offenders is discussed, and the police role in protecting victims of violence is examined. 39 references