Responding to Crimes of Violence Against Women: Gender Differences Versus Organizational Imperatives

Abstract

Whether the police response to domestic assault differs from how they handle incidents involving strangers continues to be a topic of debate and research. Based on a 1-year sample of cases from a midwestern city, the hypothesis that an inverse relationship characterized the association between level of intimacy and arrest was tested. Notwithstanding relevant elements of probable cause such as the presence of weapons, witnesses, injury, and the offender, the results confirmed the hypothesis.

Explaining the Prevalence, Context, and Consequences of Dual Arrest in Intimate Partner Cases

“…While some studies indicate that the police are less likely to arrest in domestic violence cases (see, e.g., Buzawa, Austin, & Buzawa, 1995;Eigenberg, Scarborough & Kappeler, 1996;Fyfe, Klinger & Flavin, 1997;Avakame & Fyfe, 2001;Felson & Ackerman, 2001), other studies show a consistent police response to domestic and non-domestic violence cases (see, e.g. Oppenlander, 1982;Klinger, 1995;Feder, 1998).…”

“Did you call the police? What did they do?” An empirical assessment of black's theory of mobilization of law

“…Other, more recent researchers have specifically examined the dynamics of police response to reported domestic violence, using several other variables (Berk and Loseke 1981;Buzawa, Austin, and Buzawa 1995;Fyfe, Klinger, and Flavin 1997;Klinger 1995;Oppentander 1982;Smith and Klein 1984;Worden and Politz 1984). Their studies did not explicitly test Black's theory, but their observations can be marshaled to fit his postulates and thus to test them.…”

“…These findings run counter to Black's predictions. Buzawa et al (1995) examined the influence of relational distance (spouses versus nonspouses) and a number of situational conditions on the probability of arrest in 376 assault cases in an unnamed midwestern city during 1986 and 1987. These situational factors included victim's preference, injury to victim, type of force or weapon, availability of witness(es), and offender's presence at the crime scene when the officer(s) arrived.…”

Policing domestic violence: Does officer gender matter?

“…Berk, Fenstermaker, & Newton, 1988;S. Berk & Loseke, 1981;Buzawa, 1988;Buzawa & Austin, 1993;Buzawa, Austin, & Buzawa, 1995;Buzawa & Buzawa, 2003;Dugan, 2003;Feder, 1997;Finn, Blackwell, Stalans, Studdard, & Dugan, 2004;, 2002Homant & Kennedy, 1985;Kane, 1999;Robinson & Chandek, 2000a, 2000b, 2000cStith, 1990). As in previous research on police behavior, a number of predictors had been investigated, including officer characteristics (e.g., gender, race, education, police experience, martial stress), citizen and situational variables (e.g., gender, race, demeanor, victim preference, injury, cooperativeness, victim/offender relationship, presence of a witness, prior record, type of weapon/force used, evidence strength), and organizational and community factors (e.g., pro-arrest policies, degree of urbanization).…”