PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES

Public Policy Issues-Domestic Violence

Public Policy Issues-Domestic Violence

Thesis Statement

Arrest rates of intimate partner violence have increased as an undeviating result of implementation of the preferred and mandatory arrest policies for domestic violence.

Introduction

Domestic violence is, in a pair, the violence exerted by one partner on his or her spouse or by the family in direct relationship. Domestic violence has deleterious consequences for the victims and for any children or couple. This is one of the major risk factors for the health of women aged 19-44 years in the world. Globally, Domestic violence is considered to be the most under- reported crime and the reasons for being under-reported includes weakly structure public policies for domestic violence, confined resources, shrinkage of public access to the sites and services that can provide guidance and help to the victims of domestic violence. But one of the major issues, which have restricted domestic violence victim from looking for help, is the implementation of the mandatory arrest policies (Hirschel et.al, 2013, pp. 255-298).

Contemporary research taking place on domestic violence designates that arrest rates of intimate partner violence have increased as an undeviating result of implementation of the preferred and mandatory arrest laws for domestic violence. The domestic violence has continued to be one of the main public policy concerns even after almost twenty years of policy intervention. In order to eliminate these problems, there are many states which have mandated the laws of arrest in which the abusers are required to be arrested when the incident of domestic violence is reported. This has risen as the biggest issue because the mandatory arrest policy has disempowered the victims, because they are found to be least interested to call for any help, due the fear of being arrested. The papers explain the effect that the mandatory prosecution policies have on the calls which are made to the police station for help after the domestic violence. Arrest of both the parties i.e. dual arrest, involved in domestic violence is another discussed perspective that resulted into dual arrest (Hirschel et.al, 2013, pp. 255-298).

Contemporary Policy Issues for Domestic Violence

Mandatory Arrest

It refers to the legal duty of the police officer to arrest a person when the officer has a reason to believe that the act of domestic violence has taken place. The police policy of Mandatory arrest refers to the legal obligation of the law authority and police to arrest the individual involve in domestic violence attempts or assaults in order to protect the potential possibility of further action or a new crime may evolve from the intentions of the individuals involved (Bent-Goodley, 2011).

Dual Arrest

The sociologist and criminologists does not see domestic violence as a gender-specific phenomenon. Research has shown that an unintended result of the mandatory arrest is that more women have been arrested in the cases of domestic violence in the areas where the laws are applied. It results in the dual arrest in which both partners are arrested by the police officer but the increase in ...