Responding to Domestic Violence

Eve Buzawa, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita in the School of Criminology & Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She served as Chair of the School from 1995 – 2013, and Director of the School from September, 2013-June, 2016 when she retired. Dr. Buzawa received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester and her Master′s and Doctoral degrees from the School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University. Dr. Buzawa has authored and edited numerous books, journal articles, and monographs in the field of domestic violence.  She has also served as a Principal Investigator on several federally funded research projects as well as directing numerous state funded research and training projects. Dr. Buzawa’s expertise encompasses the issue of domestic violence in the United States and globally. She has served as a consultant, trainer, and speaker to numerous agencies and organizations throughout the world and was the recipient of a Fulbright Award in 2016. Dr. Buzawa is Past President of the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology, Past President of the Northeast Association of Criminal Justice Sciences, and past Board Member for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Carl G. Buzawa is an attorney in private practice. Currently, he is Senior Vice President—Contracts, Legal, and Compliance at Textron Systems. He received his BA from the University of Rochester, his MA from the University of Michigan, and his JD from Harvard Law School. With Eve S. Buzawa, he is the coauthor of numerous books and articles on the topic of domestic violence. Evan Stark is a sociologist, forensic social worker and award-winning researcher with an international reputation for his innovative work on the legal, policy and health dimensions of interpersonal violence, including its effects on children. Dr. Stark’s award-winning book, Coercive Control: The Entrapment of Women in Personal Life (Oxford, 2007), was named the outstanding social science book published in 2007 by the Association of American Publishers and influenced the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe to expand their definitions of domestic violence to include coercive control.  With a Ph.D......University, he is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University where he held appointments in Public Affairs, Public Health and Women and Gender Studies. Dr. Stark has held visiting appointments and Fellowships at the University of Essex,  the University of Bristol,  the  Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios (ESEN) in El Salvador and, most recently, as the. Leverhulme Visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh.  Since his retirement, Dr. Stark has done extensive work on imporiving the response to abuse women in Turkey, as part of the State Department′s "U.S. Speaker and Specialist Program" as well as in Serbia, Taiwan and throughout the United Kingdom. 

CHAPTER 1. Introduction
Purpose and Overview
The Domestic Violence Revolution: Taking Stock
Is the Domestic Violence Revolution a Success?
The Challenges Before Us
Challenges to a Criminal Justice Approach
The Evolution of this Text
Organization of this Edition
PART I. What is Domestic Violence?
CHAPTER 2. Defining the Problem
The Nature and Extent of Domestic Violence
Controversies of Definitions
Domestic Violence Offenses
Who are the Victims
The Impact of Domestic Violence
Psychological and Quality of Life Effects on Victims
Monetary Costs
Domestic Violence in the Workplace
The Impact on Children and Adolescents
The Specialized Problem of Stalking in Relationships
CHAPTER 3. Matters of History, Faith, and Society
Historic Attitudes on Domestic Violence
The Continuing Importance of History
The Religious Basis for Abuse
The Social Critique Perspective on History and Religion
CHAPTER 4. Theoretical Explanations for Domestic Violence
The Complexity of Analyzing Intimate partner Abuse
Individual Focused Theories of Violence
Who is Most at Risk of Battering?
Biological and Psychological-Based Theories
Is Substance Abuse the Linkage Among Sociobiological, Psychological, and Sociological Theories
Are Certain Families Violent?
Is Domestic Violence an Intergenerational Problem?
Sociodemographic Correlates of Violence and Underserved Populations
Coercive Control
PART II: The Criminal Justice Response
CHAPTER 5. Selective Screening: Barriers to Intervention
Victim Case Screening
The Police Response
Prosecutorial Screening Prior to Adjudication
Prosecutorial Autonomy
Case Attrition by Victims: Self-Doubts and the Complexity of Motivation
A Judicial Annoyance: Handling Battling Families
The Decision to Access Victim Services
CHAPTER 6. The Impetus for Change
Political Pressure
The Role of Research in Promoting Change
The Evolution of Research Supporting the Primacy of Arrest
The Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment
The Replication Studies
Legal Liability as an Agent for Change
CHAPTER 7. Policing Domestic Violence
How Do Police Decide Whether to Review
Key Situational and Incident Characteristics
Victim Specific Variables in the Decision to Arrest
Offender Specific Variables in the Decision to Arrest
Variations Within Police Departments
Community Characteristics
The Controversy over Mandatory Arrest
Arrests and Minority Populations: A Special Case?
The Role of Victim Satisfaction in Reporting Re-Victimization
The Increase in Dual Arrests
Is a Uniform Arrest Policy Justified in the Context of Victim Needs?
The Limitations of Police Arrests in Response to Stalking
CHAPTER 8. Prosecuting Domestic Violence
The Varied Reasons for Case Attrition
The Changing Prosecutorial Response
Victims Charged With Child Endangerment
The Likelihood of Conviction
Are there Effective Alternatives to Mandatory Prosecution?
CHAPTER 9. The Role of Restraining Orders
The Role of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
The Process of Obtaining Protective Orders
The Explosive Growth of Restraining Orders
The Early Use of Restraining Orders: The Massachusetts Experience
Potential Advantages of Protective Orders
Why Protective Orders are Not Always Granted
The Limitations of Protective Orders
The Complex Problem of Restraining Order Violation
Is There a “Best Practice” for Obtaining and Enforcing Restraining Orders?
CHAPTER 10. The Judicial Response
The Process of Measuring Judicial Change
The Impact of Judicial Activism: Analysis of a Case Study
Case Disposition at Trial: Variability in Judicial Sentencing Patterns
Sentencing Patterns for Domestic Compared With Non–Domestic Violence Offenders
Domestic Violence Courts: The Focus on Victim Needs and Offender Accountability
The Variety of Domestic Violence Courts
Innovations in New York State
PART III. The Societal Response
CHAPTER 11. Mandated Institutional Change
State Domestic Violence Related Laws
Statutes and Policies Mandating or Preferring Arrest
State Antistalking and Cyber Stalking Statutes
The Federal Legislative Response
The Affordable Care Act
Future Legislation
International Legal Reform and Human Rights
The Context for a Broader Response to Woman Abuse
Do Organizational Policies Mediate the Impact of Mandatory and Presumptive Arrest Statutes?
CHAPTER 12. Community Based and Court Sponsored Diversions
Restorative Justice Approaches
Domestic Violence Mediation Programs
Family Group Conferencing and Peacemaking Circles
Peacemaking Circles
Batterer Intervention Programs
CHAPTER 13. Domestic Violence, Health, and the Health System Response
The Role of Health Services
The Need for and Use of Health Services by Battered Women
The Markers of Partner Violence in the Health System
The Sexual Nature of Partner Violence and Abuse
The Secondary Consequences of Abuse
Explaining the Secondary Health Problems Associated with Partner Abuse
Populations at Special Risk
Defining Woman Battering in the Health Setting
Measuring Partner Abuse: Prevalence and Incidence
Medical Neglect
Reforming the Health System
The Major Challenges Ahead
CHAPTER 14. Domestic Violence, Children, and the Institutional Response
Domestic Violence and Children’s Well-Being
Indirect Effects of Exposure to Domestic Violence on Children
The Limits of the Research and Future Direction
The Child Welfare System
The Family Court Response
CHAPTER 15. Conclusion: Towards the Prevention of Domestic Violence: Challenges and Opportunities
Our Many Successes
The Problem of High Risk Offenders
The Use of Risk Assessment Tools
What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH)
Using Risk Assessments to Target High Risk Offenders
Are Several Risk Profiles Needed?
Implementing Risk Reduction Strategies