Ira W. Hutchison

Abused Women Help-Seeking Strategies and Police Utilization

This article describes the multiple efforts made by abused women to seek help. Based on detailed interviews with 419 abused women, the analysis shows that only a very small number have failed to seek assistance. Most of the women have used a variety of sources, including lawyers, counselors, ministers, magistrates, shelters, and, most often, the police. Demographic analysis shows that relationship is the strongest and most consistent predictor of help seeking; married women use available services far more than do cohabitants. Other demographic characteristics emerge as mixed or marginal predictors of help seeking. Agencies oriented to providing services to abused women should be particularly attuned to those who might be underserved.

The Failure of Arrest to Deter Spouse Abuse

In this article the authors present the results of an experiment conducted to test the relative effectiveness of three police responses to spouse abuse: (a) advising, and possibly separating the couple; (b) issuing a citation to the offender; and (c) arresting the offender. Cases that met specified eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments and were then tracked for a period of at least 6 months to discern whether recidivism had occurred. Measures of recidivism were obtained through use of both official police records and victim interviews. Analysis of prevalence, incidence, and time to failure rates indicated that arrest was no more effective than the other two treatments at deterring subsequent abuse.

The Relative Effects of Offense, Offender, and Victim Variables on the Decision to Prosecute Domestic Violence Cases

Traditionally, even when the police have arrested suspected spouse abusers, prosecutors have been reluctant to follow through with prosecution. Using a sample of 424 cases in which abusers were either arrested on the scene or issued citations for court appearance, this research study investigates whether characteristics surrounding the offense (such as cause of the argument and victim injury), offender characteristics (such as prior record and substance abuse), or victim characteristics (such as relationship with the offender and substance abuse) most impact the prosecutions decision to prosecute. The policy implications of the findings are also discussed.

Review essay on the law enforcement response to spouse abuse: Past, present, and future

In this review article the authors critically assess the role of law enforcement in spouse abuse. After discussing definitional issues and tracing the evolution of attitudes and treatment of the physical abuse of wives, they examine the extent to which spouse abuse occurs. The role of law enforcement then is examined from both a historical and a theoretical perspective, and research studies of the law enforcement response are evaluated. Particular attention is paid to current pro-arrest policies. The article concludes with a discussion of policy issues and suggestions for the future.

The effects of children's presence on woman abuse.

The association between the presence of children and woman abuse was investigated. Data were collected from 419 women who had called the police because of an abusive incident involving their male partner. Minor children were present in the home in 3/4 of the cases and were frequent witnesses to the abusive incident. In more than 1/2 of the cases, children had witnessed the assault according to the victims; 2/3 of the victims reported that children had seen the police when they arrived. There was almost no association between the presence of children in the home and assault on women: the presence of children was not associated with cumulative incidence of abuse, severity of abuse, degree of injury, or the victim’s decision-making process in calling the police. However, police were more likely to provide information and referrals to shelters when children were present.

Limitations in the Pro-Arrest Response to Spouse Abuse

After a decade of research, the deterrent effect of arrest on spouse abuse recidivism has not been clearly established. The pro-arrest movement has, however, emerged as the mainstay of public policy; an overly simplistic solution for a complex social problem. It is suggested that the continuing high rates of spouse abuse have less to do with the failure of police to arrest than to a collective failure of imagination. While arrest is an important option, an over-reliance on pro-arrest police procedures may have impeded the development of more comprehensive and imaginative social policies. Policy makers must look beyond the police in developing both long term and short term responses to spouse abuse.

The Impact of Divorce upon Clergy Career Mobility.

This study investigates differences in career patterns between 157 divorced and 174 niondivorced clergy qf the Presbyterian Church in the United States. The data, obtained through mailed questionnaires, suggest that divorce does not obviate a ministerial career. It does, however, constitute a disruption and makes it likely that a divorced clergyman will move more often, hold positions outside of the normatively prescribed parish ministry, and have more difficulty in attaining upward mobility. Time since divorce and remarriage are shown to have a slight mitigating effect on the negative career impact.