Victim or Offender? Heterogeneity Among Women Arrested for Intimate Partner Violence

Mandatory arrest laws for intimate partner violence (IPV) have increased both the number and proportion of arrests that involve female defendants. Whether these numbers should be as high as they are remains a source of controversy. Most practitioners argue that women are usually arrested for defensive actions used in the face of assaults perpetrated by their spouse/partner. Others believe that these higher arrest rates more accurately reflect the true prevalence of physical aggression perpetrated by women. One way to help clarify this debate is to take a closer look at the women charged with IPV. The present study used self-reported information and criminal justice records on prior aggression to classify 485 women convicted of IPV into four distinct subtypes (i.e., no prior violence, primary victim, primary aggressor, and primary aggressor not identified). Despite the fact that all of these women were arrested for and convicted of IPV, analyses consistently found that few of the women could be considered as the primary aggressor in their relationship. Nor, however, were all of the women classified as primary victims. Methodological issues are discussed as well as the policy, practice, and research implications of this study.

侦查的类型学研究

为了对侦查概念作深入的把握,有必要进行类型学的研究。从侦查制度的性质看,分为权力抑制型侦查和权力主导型侦查;从侦查制度的价值取向看,分为人权保障型侦查和犯罪控制型侦查;从侦查程序的启动看,分为随机型侦查和程序型侦查;从侦查程序的运行看,分为职权式侦查和对抗式侦查;从侦查行为的方式看,分为强制性侦查和任意性侦查。