Policing domestic violence : a review of the evidence

Abstract

"This review examines what is known about the policing of domestic violence. It covers six domains of police involvement in domestic violence—workforce development, reporting to<br/ >police, first response, prevention of further domestic violence, investigative responses and charging of perpetrators. A systematic search of 10 literature databases, with targeted followup searches, identified 346 eligible studies.<br/ ><br/ >Findings indicate that police can influence the likelihood of further violence, victim satisfaction and wellbeing, and criminal justice outcomes. Improvements to the policing of domestic<br/ >violence should focus on optimising the implementation and effectiveness of police responses—specifically, targeting responses at the incidents, victims and perpetrators where<br/ >they are likely to have the greatest impact; developing the workforce; embracing new technologies and innovative approaches; minimising bureaucratic or administrative barriers to effective police responses; and working closely with victims."