Responses of Police Officers to Cases of Officer Domestic Violence: Effects of Demographic and Professional Factors

Abstract

Although the perpetration of domestic violence by police officers has received more attention lately, little research has examined the topic. This study investigated common responses of police officers (n = 1108) to officer-perpetrated domestic violence case scenarios and the relationships between officer characteristics and such responses. Common responses included encouraging the victim to file a formal report, assisting in finding help for domestic abuse, and referring the offending officer to an employee assistance program (EAP) or counselor. Arrest was a likely response when officers were asked to imagine they witnessed a victim’s injuries and heard statements about an assault in a case scenario. Supervisors had the most victim-supportive responses, suggesting they may be very good trainers of front-line officers.

Appendix

Case 1: Deputy Mike Forester and his wife, Carol

Imagine that Carol, the wife of your fellow deputy, Mike Forester, comes to the agency and asks for you by name. Carol states that yesterday Mike was upset after a long, stressful day at work. He told her he wanted her to stop “nagging” him about doing work around the house saying, “Sure, you have a job too, but you just don’t get it – my job is different – I just can’t turn it off in my head.” She reports that he went into his closet and took out his gun belt. She knew that when that happens it means she has to clean his weapons. “He knows I’m terrified of guns and the cleaning is a way to punish me. I have to take apart the weapons and clean them one at a time. After each gun is clean, it must pass his inspection.” She says that all three guns are different and she often forgets how to put them together properly. She said that yesterday he stood over her and made fun of her as she struggled. “He called me ‘stupid’ as usual but this time things were very different. He put on his gun belt and picked up his work handgun and placed it in the holster. He came and stood over me and said he was tired of my mistakes and the next mistake would be my last. Then he sat down in front of me and took out his gun, laughed and said, ‘Come on, let us see a mistake.’ I cried and could not stop shaking. He jumped up, yelled ‘You stupid bitch,’ threw his beer against the wall, breaking the glass, and stomped out of the room.”

Despite having a limited amount of information in the above case description, try to answer the following questions to the best of your ability.

[Twelve potential actions were listed here, and possible responses ranged from 0 % to 100 % likelihood.]

CONTINUATION [presented on a new web page]:

Imagine that Carol leaves your office after saying she does not want to get a restraining order [or civil order for protection] because she worries it will harm Mike’s career. She is afraid of leaving him for fear he will find and kill her. The next day, dispatch sends you to their house. As you approach the door you can hear that they are both yelling at each other. As the door opens you notice Carol has a split lip and red marks on her neck and Mike has a scratch across his left cheek. Carol then yells, “Look at what he did, he tried to choke me,” to which Mike responds, “That bitch wouldn’t get off me.”

Despite having a limited amount of information in the above case description, try to answer the following questions to the best of your ability.

[Twelve potential actions were listed here, and possible responses ranged from 0 % to 100 % likelihood.]

Case 2: Officer Charlie Porter, his ex-wife Mary, and Mary’s boyfriend Jack

Imagine that several of your fellow officers tell you they have seen Officer Charlie Porter’s patrol car five or six times in the neighborhood in which he used to live with his wife, Mary. They are now divorced, and Charlie has moved across town. Your colleagues do not think much about Charlie’s behavior other than they are concerned that it could take Charlie a long time to respond to calls for service. You talk with Charlie privately and he says, “She let her new boyfriend, Jack, move in and it’s no good for my boys.” A month later, while assisting Charlie on a traffic accident scene, he asks you to take pictures of the vehicle damage with his camera. He hands his assigned digital camera to you. You look through the pictures already taken. You discover that the camera is full of pictures of Mary and Jack. It was clear that Mary and Jack were unaware that the pictures were being taken; they were of Mary and Jack out at numerous locations, including the grocery store, movie theatre, and local restaurants. There were multiple pictures dated over the last month.

Despite having a limited amount of information in the above case description, try to answer the following questions to the best of your ability.

[Seven potential actions were listed here, and possible responses ranged from 0 % to 100 % likelihood.]

CONTINUATION:

A couple of weeks later you hear two colleagues saying that Mary called the department to report that someone may be stalking her. She says that she “feels like she is being followed.” Mary also said she wasn’t 100 % sure, but thought she saw Charlie’s new truck parked down the block late one night last week when she was taking the dog out. Once she looked in the direction of the truck, it immediately pulled out of the neighborhood. Your colleagues also mention that Mary received phone calls from a blocked number with heavy breathing on the other end and finding threatening notes about her children left on her car’s windshield.

Knowing this information, coupled with the camera incident involving Charlie described earlier, please try your best to answer the following questions based on the limited information.

[Seven potential actions were listed here, and possible responses ranged from 0 % to 100 % likelihood.]