Policing Domestic and Family Violence

Abstract

How police respond to domestic and family violence (DFV) has important ramifications for the safety of women and their children. Despite recognition of the key role police play in responding to DFV and the importance of the perspectives of survivors in informing appropriate responses, there has been no recent exploration of survivors’ experiences of the police response to DFV in Queensland. This article draws on interviews with women in Brisbane, Australia, who have experienced DFV and engaged in some way with the legal system. It explores women’s reasons for calling, or not calling, the police and their experiences with police between 2014 and 2017. The article highlights the role of police culture in appropriately responding to DFV. It suggests that cultural change is needed and may be facilitated by ongoing training, addressing gender balance within the police service and introducing women-only police stations.

How Women’s Police Stations Empower Women, Widen Access to Justice and Prevent Gender Violence

“…While the proportion of women entering policing has increased in the last century, 7 policing remains a male-dominated profession in which masculine culture is pervasive, if not hegemonic (Loftus 2008: 757;Prokos and Padavic 2002: 242). The masculine culture that pervades frontline policing has serious and adverse implications for how police typically respond to gender-based violence (Douglas 2019;Goodman-Delahunty and Graham 2011;Loftus 2008;Prokos and Padavic 2002;Prenzler and Sinclair 2013;Pruitt 2013). Male officers can use the authority of their position and gender to exercise power in their interactions with women as citizens (Martin 1999: 118).…”

“…Male officers can use the authority of their position and gender to exercise power in their interactions with women as citizens (Martin 1999: 118). There are many documented shortcomings regarding how this affects victims of gender violence who seek police support, including ambivalence and a lack of empathy towards the victims of domestic and sexual violence (Douglas 2018(Douglas , 2019Royal Commission 2017: 382-388;Taylor et al 2013: 98-99, 107); failure to provide women with adequate information (Special Taskforce 2015: 230; Standing Committee on Social Issues 2012: 167; Westera and Powell 2017: 164-165); a lack of referral to appropriate support services in emergency and non-emergency situations (Ragusa 2013: 708;Westera and Powell 2017: 164-165); victim blaming (Douglas 2019;Goodman-Delahunty and Graham 2011: 36-37;Taylor et al 2013: 99, 108, 154); reluctance to believe or take victims' complaints seriously (Douglas 2019;Powell and Cauchi 2013: 233;Royal Commission 2017: 504;Special Taskforce 2015: 251;Taylor et al 2013: 102, 156); 'siding with the perpetrator'; and regarding victim's complaints as 'too trivial and a waste of police resources' (Special Taskforce 2015: 251).…”

Inter-gender murder in NSW, 1901–1955: Reconsidering the laws of the fraternity

“…From the 1980s, the regular publication of homicide data allowed criminologists and government agencies to refine the interrogation of IPH’s unique drivers and the criminal justice system’s distinct responses to it (Fagan & Browne, 1994; Gartner & McCarthy, 1991). Despite the academic take-up of ‘intimate partner’ as a gender-neutral term by the 1990s, feminists continue to focus on men’s femicides and to criticise the law’s preparedness to excuse male partner violence while failing to take the defensive character of women’s IPH into account (Dobash & Dobash, 2015; Douglas, 2019; Sheehy et al., 2012).…”

Patriarchal beliefs and perceptions towards women among Indian police officers: A study of Uttar Pradesh, India

“…Scholarship examining the variables that predict patriarchal beliefs has been limited, with most research being conducted in contexts outside of South Asia. In the United States, sociodemographic variables, namely age, gender, rank, years of work experience and education have been found to be associated with patriarchal beliefs (Douglas, 2019; Erez, 2002; Gover et al, 2011; Logan et al, 2006). Other research indicates that education, gender and social environment can also impact the patriarchal beliefs later in life (Ivinson, 2015; Sahni, 2019; Trueman, 2015).…”