ERIC Number: EJ787672
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 20
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0886-2605
EISSN: N/A
Police Response to Domestic Violence: Making Decisions about Risk and Risk Management
Perez Trujillo, Monica; Ross, Stuart
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, v23 n4 p454-473 2008
Assessing and responding to risk are key elements in how police respond to domestic violence. However, relatively little is known about the way police make judgments about the risks associated with domestic violence and how these judgments influence their actions. This study examines police decisions about risk in domestic violence incidents when using a risk assessment instrument. Based on a sample of 501 risk assessments completed by police in Australia, this study shows that a limited number of items on the risk assessment instrument are important in police officers' decisions about risk. Statistical analyses show that the victim's level of fear contributes to police officers' judgment on the level of risk and their decisions on which risk management strategy should be used. These findings suggest that research on police responses to domestic violence needs to pay greater attention to situational dynamics and the task requirements of risk-based decision making. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure and 5 notes.)
Descriptors: Family Violence, Police, Risk Management, Evaluation Methods, Foreign Countries, Decision Making, At Risk Persons, Victims of Crime, Fear, Law Enforcement, Substance Abuse, Intervention
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A