Victim Experiences and Perspectives on Police Responses to Verbal Violence in Domestic Settings

Abstract

This interdisciplinary, qualitative study explores why individuals called the police in noncriminal, verbally aggressive situations and how they perceived police responses. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 individuals, mostly women. While some reported positive perceptions of the police response, the participants' accounts underscored the seriousness of verbal violence and revealed that when women seek help from police they often perceive the resulting response as inadequate and/or unfair. This study highlights the importance of recognizing that verbal violence is often part of a "fabric of abuse" that may include criminal behavior and considers implications for police practice.

Responding to Domestic and Family Violence: A Qualitative Study on the Changing Perceptions of Frontline Police Officers

“…Based on these findings, the report recommended that police responses should be more timely, empathetic, and focus on victim safety and support. Findings of this nature are not unique to Queensland or New South Wales police as similar problems have been reported in police agencies internationally (Loftus, 2009; Stewart et al, 2013).…”

“…Another concern when viewing their attitudes, in light of other DFV research, is that officers may misidentify the aggressor or discourage genuine victims where physical violence is minimal, recurring, or bilateral (Stark, 2012; Stewart et al, 2013). Overall, the findings suggest that although officers’ awareness and competence in responding to DFV may increase with experience, their well-being and capacity to do their job effectively and compassionately may become impaired.…”

“…Another issue concerning police responses to DFV is that officers tended to overlook the impacts of controlling behavior and verbal violence in the absence of physical injury or property damage (Myhill & Johnson, 2016; Stark, 2012; Stewart et al, 2013). Goodman-Delahunty and Crehan (2016) found that some officers blamed victims and belittled their concerns.…”

‘Listen to me, his behaviour is erratic and I’m really worried for our safety . . .’: Help-seeking in the context of coercive control

“…For victim-survivors, the process of seeking help is a complex journey involving multiple attempts to safely escape an abusive partner (Anderson and Saunders, 2003). Typically, women seek help when they feel they are no longer able to protect themselves, or their children, from immediate (Holder, 2001) or anticipated harm (Lewis et al, 2000;Stewart et al, 2013). Women must exercise a considerable degree of agency to keep themselves and their families' safe during this period of heightened risk (Hoyle and Sanders, 2000).…”

“…In addition, Stewart et al (2013) state that some professionals working in criminal justice settings may subconsciously give more credence to a man's account of an incident, and be sceptical of a woman's recollection of the abuse when they are making a disclosure, particularly when the perpetrator does not present as dangerous. Such gender discrimination may contribute to the relatively high attrition rate in domestic abuse cases (Stewart et al, 2013). Research by Taylor-Dunn (2016) shows that the attrition rate in criminal justice processes is significantly reduced when domestic abuse specialists adopt a person-led 'empowerment approach'.…”