Web resource:	http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Robyn_Holder_Research_Report.pdf
Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Police and domestic violence : an analysis of domestic violence incidents attended by police in the ACT and subsequent actionsAustralian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse research paper ; 4.
Authors:	Holder, Robyn
Keywords:	Policing;Statistics
Year:	2007
Publisher:	Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse, UNSW
Notes:	General Overview: This Australian research paper reviews the literature regarding domestic violence, police and arrest powers, and presents the results of an analysis of three years of information from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police Family Violence Database. Methodology: The research for the report included a review of the literature regarding police and domestic violence, particularly in relation to the use of arrest. The research used a longitudinal statistical analysis of the Family Violence Database of the Australian Federal Police (ACT Region) from 2001 to 2004. Findings: The analysis found that each year the majority of spouse / ex-spouse incidents reported to and attended by police result from a call for assistance by the victim and primarily involve adult males abusing adult females. When the presence of children is recorded, 70% of incidents show them as being present. The majority of incidents involve a combination of verbal and physical abuse, and about 20% of these involve an allegation of assault. Criminal action arises in approximately 30% of spouse/ex-spouse incidents in the ACT. The research found more proactive intervention by police in the ACT in response to domestic violence and a higher degree of predictability and consistency in police responses, since the commencement of the inter-agency Family Violence Intervention Program in 1998. The research indicates that police decisions about what actions to take in relation to domestic violence relate strongly to situational factors (i.e. the circumstances of the incident and presence of specific factors, such as alcohol), rather than police attitudes or other non-legal factors. Conclusions: The paper concludes with discussion of the factors influencing improved police practice within the inter-agency Family Violence Intervention Program.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16175
ISSN:	14438496
Physical description:	40 p.
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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