Citation

Bledsoe LK, Sar BK, Barbee AP. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2006; 13(1): 109-129.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J146v13n01_06

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This report presents findings on the impact of a coordinated community response effort on offender accountability. A quantitative analysis approach was applied to dispositional data from all intimate partner violence arrests (1,079) occurring between August 1, 1999 and July 31, 2000. Results of the quantitative statistical analyses support that the community coordinated response under investigation resulted in perpetrators of intimate partner violence being held more accountable. Police officers in the specialized Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) made 35.1% of all intimate partner violence arrests while comprising about 1.6% of the total force. Arrests by the DVU were more likely to be felonies and remain so at disposition; and DVU average jail sentences, probation, and time conditionally discharged were longer.