NCJ Number
133600
Date Published
1990
Length
77 pages
Annotation
Senator Dan Coats sponsored a leadership forum in 1990 that focused on domestic violence generally and spouse abuse specifically.
Abstract
The first statement addresses the abuse of females by male partners and notes that over 50 percent of all women experience at least one incident of violence by their partner during the relationship. More promising news, however, is that national surveys indicate wife abuse declined by 28 percent between 1975 and 1985. This decrease suggests increased awareness of the problem by the general public as well as better training of law enforcement, social service, and health care professionals. Subsequent statements focus on the role of judges and prosecutors in domestic violence cases, the response of the criminal justice system to domestic violence, the emotional nature of domestic violence cases, and the provision of services to battered women. Additional statements consider legislation to deal with abuse, the importance of education on human relationships between sexes, injuries sustained by domestic violence victims, and what can be done to break the cycle of spouse abuse. Senate Bill 3134, submitted in 1990 to the 101st Congress to increase awareness of and prevent family violence, is included.