Attitudes About Woman Abuse Among Police Officers, Victims, and Victim Advocates

Abstract

Law enforcement agencies are in a position to be of great service to battered women, yet they have recently been criticized for the manner of their response. This survey of police officers, battered women, and advocates for battered women was conducted to shed light on the controversy over the police response. The results show that officers generally viewed marital violence as criminal and unacceptable, yet very few saw arrest as the best solution. In contrast, the majority of victims wanted arrest used, often to force the offender to get help in addition to being punished. Victim-blaming by officers was related to traditional views of women's roles. Somewhat divergent views and negative stereotyping seemed to characterize the police-advocate relationship. Recommendations for improving police-advocate dialogue and police training are given.