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https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16403 Record ID: 79ce6404-0c15-401a-bb0f-86c9392c3e43
Full metadata record
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Romkens, Ren?e | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-06-30T23:25:45Z | - |
| dc.date.available | 2022-06-30T23:25:45Z | - |
| dc.date.issued | 2006 | en |
| dc.identifier.citation | 12 (2), February 2006 | en |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1077-8012 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16403 | - |
| dc.language | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Sage Publications | en |
| dc.subject | Stalking | en |
| dc.subject | Criminal justice responses | en |
| dc.subject | Policing | en |
| dc.title | Protecting prosecution: exploring the powers of law in an intervention program for domestic violence | en |
| dc.title.alternative | Violence against women | en |
| dc.type | Journal Article | en |
| dc.identifier.catalogid | 1092 | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | International | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | new_record | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | Journal article/research paper | en |
| dc.description.notes | This article reports the results of a Dutch study that examined the way the criminal justice system positions itself centrally in an intervention system designed to prevent stalking and domestic violence even though it may not be the system most supportive of the victim. The author criticises this positioning because it focuses on the perpetrator rather than support of the victim. Also since the criminal justice system is seen as “objective” compared with other disciplines that are seen as "subjective” and therefore unreliable, the resulting focus on the criminal justice system and its processes can mean that the interests of victims are marginalised. Central to the study was a programme in which victims of domestic violence and stalking were given an alarm system in their house which connected them directly to the police who would respond by coming to the house if the alarm was triggered, in order to catch the assailant in the act. The author highlights the fact that violence often escalates after separation and that stalking is a common problem, and notes that there is no clear evidence that arrest and sentencing without other interventions decrease the incidence of repeat offences. The author also comments that mandatory reporting may have a negative impact on women’s sense of autonomy and has increased the incidence of women being arrested for acts of self-defence. Further, women of marginalised races are less likely to call the police if there is mandatory reporting because they feel that the perpetrator will probably be treated less than fairly. The study put a high priority on legal indicators to determine whether a victim was included such as whether they: had a protection order; were in imminent serious danger; were willing to press charges and appear as a witness for the prosecution; and had no voluntary contact with the offender. The results of the study, although tentative (due to the small number of women involved), were surprising since they reflected a significant reluctance to use the alarm and when they did use it, it resulted in few arrests. The reluctance of women to use the alarm was usually because they did not want to get the perpetrator in serious trouble and were also reluctant to call the police before actual violence occurred. Despite the low use-rate, women on the programme benefited substantially because they felt safer and their quality of life improved as a result of a reduction in psychosomatic symptoms such as sleep deprivation. The author argued that the criminal justice system represented a superior, more powerful intervention right at the time other interventions were being introduced and that this effect was counterproductive. Further she argues that the success of an interdisciplinary system require this paradox to be addressed. The study concludes that the results underscore the need to question the increasing reliance on the criminal justice system and its limitations in addressing the needs and perceptions of victims. | en |
| dc.identifier.source | Violence against women | en |
| dc.date.entered | 2006-03-21 | en |
| Appears in Collections: | Journal Articles | |
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