Reports how husband's mental state, antagonism between the disputants, and victim injury affected officers' inferences and referral decisions to battered women shelters and outpatient mental health centers. Officers' age and perceptions of: husband's mental state, wife's credibility, wife's intent, husband's responsibility, and victim injury…

Analysis of data on 3,363 American parents from the 1985 National Family Violence Survey found that marital violence is a statistically significant predictor of physical child abuse and the greater the amount of spousal abuse, the greater the probability of physical child abuse. The relationship was stronger for abusing husbands than for abusing…

Describes the work of Help for Abused Women and Children (HAWC) in Massachusetts. Programs and activities for abused adults and teens include a crisis hotline, shelter, advocacy, support groups, legal advocacy, community trainings, workshops, counseling, and a prevention curriculum. An adventure workshop is used to address self-esteem, trust, risk…

Studied large national sample of U.S. adults, finding that almost one-half recalled having been corporally punished during adolescence. Data analysis revealed that children who experienced corporal punishment in adolescence had increased risk later in life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and…

Reports results of survey responses to short scenarios involving partner disputes. If there was no intention of harm and no current injury, dismissal was preferred. Women and men preferred counseling to jail or probation; women preferred jail and counseling more than men. Court-ordered mediation was the most preferred disposition. (LKS)

Reports results of a study on the effectiveness of a coordinated community intervention to reduce domestic violence in DuPage County, IL. Logistic regression analysis indicated that arrest significantly deterred subsequent domestic violence incidents over an 18-month follow-up period, especially with those with a previous history of police…

Reports rate of intimate partner homicides (married and unmarried, heterosexual and homosexual) in Chicago from 1965-1993 (2,556 in all). Identifies major trends in intimate homicide over this 29-year period; discusses the people who are most at risk and the riskiest situations. Explores implications for intervention strategies. (LKS)

Gives an overview of issues related to domestic violence against women as a social problem: changing responses from the legal system and the community over the course of history, possible causes of domestic violence against women, current perspectives and trends, prevalence, seriousness, and our response as a society. (LKS)

Discusses factors involved in the decision by battered women to seek court orders of protection. Women seeking such orders confront both tangible and symbolic fears. There are powerful motivations counteracting these fears; in addition, women experience psychological benefits from a sense of gaining some measure of control in their lives. (LKS)

Considers major reforms in the criminal justice system in response to domestic violence incidents: more frequent arrest, reduced control of victims in domestic court cases, more widespread use of restraining orders, and court-mandated treatment for batterers. Concludes that these do not work well across a variety of situations to reduce future…

Examines how police officers in 24 departments have responded to mandatory arrest statutes in 861 cases of domestic violence. Arrests of offenders, especially those violating restraining orders, increased. Arrest was affected by victim injury, use of a weapon, use of alcohol, and presence of a witness. Police training was crucial to implementation…

Examines problem of domestic violence in Great Britain, which has a stronger feminist movement and a much lower level of stranger-to-stranger violence than does the United States. The prevalence rate of domestic violence is quite similar to that of the United States and the British system has been less progressive in its response. (LKS)

Reports results of a study testing the hypothesis that an inverse relationship exists between level of intimacy between perpetrator and victim in incidents of violence and likelihood of arrest. Notwithstanding relevant elements of probable cause, such as the presence of weapons, witnesses, injury, and the offender, results supported the…