Does Gender Affect the Number and Type of Charges Laid in Intimate Partner Violence Cases?

Abstract

Pro-charging policies were implemented in Canada in the 1980s to denounce intimate partner violence (IPV). Since pro-charging policies were implemented, the proportion of men charged remains higher than women charged; however, the proportion of women charged increased dramatically. Little is known about the gendered differences in charging decisions in IPV cases. Utilizing a sample of 1,708 accused charged in IPV cases, logistic regression was employed to examine the influence of accused gender on the number of charges laid and the type of primary offence accused were charged with. The findings reveal there are differences between male- and female-perpetrated violence or responses to their violence, requiring more investigation.