NCJ Number
222884
Journal
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma Volume: 15 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2007 Pages: 27-52
Date Published
2007
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This paper conducts a review of the recent research on arrest rates and victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) due to legal reforms in public policy which include the implementation of mandatory arrest and prosecution laws.
Abstract
Confusion over intimate partner violence (IPV) laws and policies within the criminal justice system has led to an increase in the number of victim arrests. These rising rates have been used by male rights activists and others as evidence that women are as violent, or even more so, than men. It is important that future studies be conducted that are contextualized and measure ongoing patterns of IPV. It is apparent that the increase in victim arrest rates is not only a gross distortion of the intention and purpose of years of social change, but also poses a life-threatening risk for many women across the United States. As such, it is imperative that further changes be enacted to contend with the weaknesses in current laws and statutes, failures in law enforcement, and the far-reaching social backlash currently being experienced. Efforts by women’s rights activists, concomitant with results of research studies and court cases, have prompted legal reforms in public policy that include recently implemented mandatory arrest and prosecution laws. A review of the recent research since the advent of these laws suggests that arrests of women have increased by 25 to 35 percent, while the most liberal estimate is that only 1 to 7 percent of all IPV arrests are of actual female primary batterers. This suggests that victim arrests are on the rise. Various factors contribute to this increase creating confusion and resentment over mandatory arrest policies. Tables, references