When Women Tell: Intimate Partner Violence and the Factors Related to Police Notification. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Novisky, Meghan A.; Peralta, Robert L.
• Is Part Of: Violence against women. Volume 21:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 65
• Page End: 86
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: intimate partner violence -- mandatory arrest -- policing; Abused women -- Periodicals; Women -- Crimes against -- Periodicals; Violent crimes -- Periodicals; Femmes victimes de violence -- Périodiques; Femmes, Crimes contre les -- Périodiques; Crimes violents -- Périodiques; 362.8292
• DOI: 10.1177/1077801214564078
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8012

Abstract

We analyze how victim perceptions of mandatory arrest policies, perpetrator substance use, and presence of children are related to decisions to invoke law enforcement assistance. Logistic regression was used on survey responses from women receiving care in domestic violence shelters. Results suggest that as victim support for mandatory arrest increases, the odds of law enforcement notification of the abuse also increase. Accordingly, mandatory arrest may simply be reducing the probability of reporting intimate partner violence (IPV) among those who do not support the policy, instead of reducing IPV. Results also suggest that perpetrator substance use plays a significant role in law enforcement notification.