Simplistic Stereotyping and Complex Reality of Arab-American Immigrant Identity: Consequences and future strategies in policing wife battery

The interplay between the actual diversity in a group's internal identity and the imposition of external simplistic stereotypes is often not discussed in relation to policing domestic violence among Arab Americans. Four reported case examples of domestic violence among Arab Americans in a mid-western city form the basis of the discussion. The arguments underscore the challenges faced in this process in terms of the unity and disunity of Arab identity, the varying norms and values relating to violence against women in the Arab culture. The challenges are even more compounded due to the invisibility of Arab Americans in the diversity training curriculum of law enforcement agents and the influence of the overall negative images on the practice of policing within this community. These challenges have dire consequences for victims of domestic violence and the effectiveness of policing such a crime. It is thus essential that Arab Americans are included and understood in the diverse portrait of American society to aid law enforcement officers to do their job effectively.     

Key questions to consider in stalking cases

Stalkers can inflict severe injury upon and have been known to kill their victims. Based on the detailed responses of 1,565 stalking victims, a set of key questions was produced with the aim of increasing the opportunities of police officers to identify potentially dangerous stalkers. Despite marked methodological differences and the inclusion of a large number of variables, regression analyses for significant correlates for physical assault per se and for severe violence largely reflected the results of earlier works. For severe violence (n=136), the most important correlate was a high level of victim fear, suggesting that victims are adept at assessing their own risk of stalker violence. The set of 11 questions performed well on preliminary tests and is presented here.     

Police officers’ judgements of blame in family violence: The impact of gender and alcohol

This study investigated police officers‘ judgements of blame to both victims and assailants of family violence. Furthermore, the impact of these judgements on the reported likelihood of charging the assailants with assault was examined. The sample was selected from operational police officers of the Queensland Police Service. The sample included 51 male officers and 46 female officers. Ethnicity was not examined. However; 1.3% of police oficers identify as Indigenous and 5.8% of officers come from non-English speaking backgrounds. The subjects were presented with one of eight case vignettes of assault. In these vignettes two factors were varied, the victim gender (male and female), and alcohol consumption of the victim and assailant (both the assailant and the victim were drunk, neither were drunk, the assailant was sober and the victim drunk, and the assailant was drunk and the victim sober). A third independent variable was included, gender of the police officer Male and female police officers showed no differences in judgement of blame and reported likelihood of charging. However; the level of blame attributed to both the assailant and the victim vaned with the victim gender and the alcohol consumption of the disputants. Male victims were more likely to be blamed than female victims. Drunk victims were blamed more than sober victims. Furthermore,a relationship was found between the level of blame allocated to the victim and the reported likelihood of charging the assailant. These results indicate that police officers hold gender stereotypes that influence the way they respond to family violence.     

Behavioral scientists and law enforcement personnel: Working together on the problem of terrorism

Behavioral scientists work with law enforcement personnel on the problem of terrorism in three general contexts: clinical help for victims, training and consultation for hostage negotiation, and profiling and institutional consultation. In a study of 115 senior police officers working in the area of terrorism, subjects valued psychological counseling for crime victims within a broad framework of financial and criminal justice services. When describing a past personal victim experience, they valued direct physical action in their own coping, but expressions of sympathy and reassurance when provided by others. Problems encountered by behavioral scientists working in this area have usually involved difficulties in maintaining an effective consultant role, over-identification with the law enforcement identity, or inappropriate media statements.     

Responsibility Attribution For Violence Against Women: A Study Of Chinese Public Service Professionals

This study examined how Chinese public service professionals attributed responsibility to victims and perpetrators of violence against women (VAW). A total of 2,308 Chinese public service professionals in Hong Kong completed questionnaires on attitudes toward women, VAW–related perceptions, and assignment of responsibility to actors in written VAW vignettes. Compared to agency professionals consisting of medical doctors, lawyers, and police officers, communal professionals consisting of psychologists, social workers, and nurses attributed a higher level of responsibility to VAW victims and perpetrators. For both professional groups, attitudes toward women and educational attainment were the most salient predictors of responsibility attribution to VAW victims and perpetrators. Perceived VAW effects on victims were also a robust predictor of responsibility attribution to perpetrators. With regard to group differences, gender was predictive of responsibility attribution for communal but not for agency professionals. Except for perpetrator responsibility attribution for agency professionals, age was also predictive of how professionals assigned responsibility to VAW victims and perpetrators.     

Involving Police Departments in Early Awareness of Concussion Symptoms during Domestic Violence Calls

ABSTRACT

Police officers around the world respond to and investigate calls regarding domestic violence (DV) daily. Police departments operate with standard protocols, particularly when engaging in investigations that involve allegations of strangulation or sexual assault. Operating under advisement of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the Mesa Police Department (Mesa, AZ) has established protocols for detecting, recording, and prosecuting DV cases that involve strangulation and sexual assault. Allegations of strangulation (defined as impeded breathing) or sexual assault prompt officers to offer a forensic nursing exam (FNE) combined with strangulation treatment by forensic nurses at the Mesa Family Advocacy Center. Recognizing the potential for head injury to the assault victim in all DV situations, including intimate partner violence (IPV), the police department has added concussion-awareness training, as well as a point-of-incident investigative tool for its officers to record neurological function of the victim. Officers were instructed to use the ConQVerge device to measure and record the Near Point of Convergence (NPC) as a test of neurological impairment in suspected head injuries. In this article, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for assisting victims of DV strangulation and sexual assault (including non-DV sexual assault) with on-site assessment and consent for further medical assessment and treatment. Additionally, rates of domestic assault victims that report a crime, but decline to follow through with forensic medical tests, are reported for the first time. Lessons learned from the project that inform strategic operations in this space are offered to other agencies prior to the implementation of similar procedures.     

Campus Responses to Dating Violence and Sexual Assault: Information from University Representatives

Universities have an obligation to provide student victims with services that are easily accessible. This study focused on the provision of sexual assault and dating violence services of large, public 4-year institutions, as reported by university representatives. The sample included security officers from 45 universities who completed phone interviews between February and May 2013. Phone interviews consisted of 15 open-ended questions. The findings point to highly variable practices and services offered across campuses. The services most frequently reported by university representatives include counseling and police services. The findings also suggest that public 4-year institutions not only offer varied levels of services, but such services might not be readily available to student victims. Although many representatives identified underserved groups and suggestions for improvement, a sizable portion did not acknowledge any. Further, university representatives did not distinguish between services provided for dating violence and sexual assault.     

Why Do Police Arrest Victims of Domestic Violence? The Need for Comprehensive Training and Investigative Protocols

After all the positive changes in the criminal justice system over the last ten to fifteen years concerning the response to incidents of domestic violence, there remains the problem of battered women who are arrested as perpetrators of domestic violence. The reasons for these arrests are complex and varied. They range from the patriarchal structure of criminal justice agencies, to the staffing of these agencies, and finally to the inappropriate and inadequate training of police officers. This article includes real life examples of cases where victims were arrested, and why these arrests occurred. It also includes suggestions on how to minimize these illegal arrests.     

“To Protect and to Serve?”: An Exploration of Police Conduct in Relation to the Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,and Transgender Community

While there are studies that focus specifically on hate crimes, especially anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender motivated violence, little research has been done to examine the role that law enforcement officials play in responding to crimes related to the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) community. This study, therefore, attempts to do just that. Using traditional content-analysis techniques, we examine 1,896 incident reports that were collected by a GLBT advocacy group in Minnesota, between 1990 and 2000, to begin to understand the range of police responses in relation to the GLBT community. Results indicate that while police conduct improved, negative responses and behaviors on the part of law enforcement officials outnumbered positive responses. The most common complaint by Helpline callers was inadequate response by the police; there were also numerous callers indicating that they were further victimized at the hands of the law enforcement officials. The data suggest a continued need for the education of law enforcement officials regarding issues facing the GLBT community, advocacy for victims of crime who are many times reluctant to report an incident to the police and increased attention to issues of oversight and accountability for officers who are responding to calls for help from the GLBT community.

A Typology of Offenders Who Use Online Communications to Commit Sex Crimes Against Minors

This study aims to present a qualitative, empirically based typology of offenders who use online communications to commit sex crimes against minors, including offenders who met victims online and those who knew them in advance. Seventy-five reports made by law enforcement officers were analyzed using a qualitative software program, during which a typology defining 4 types of offenders was identified: the expert, the cynical, the affection-focused, and the sex-focused. Each type of offender was characterized by patterns of online communication, offline and online identity, relationship dynamics with the victim, and level of sex crime expertise. The typology reveals the heterogeneous nature of sex offenders who use online communications. This diversity must be addressed to provide satisfactory interventions for both victims and offenders.     

Domestic Abuse Across the Lifespan

ABSTRACT

Domestic abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Occupational therapists working in many different settings will encounter children, adults, elders and individuals with disabilities who have experienced intimate violence and abuse. This article presents common definitions and illustrative examples of each type of violence. Issues related to the difficulty inherent in identifying victims of abuse are discussed with an elaboration of indicators that are likely to be seen by an occupational therapist in the clinical setting. Risk factors for becoming a victim or an abuser for each population group and the effects of violence on victims are presented. A brief discussion of the legal and ethical implications of identifying and treating abuse victims concludes the article.     

Implementation and evaluation of a juvenile mental health training for law enforcement in a medium-sized jurisdiction

The need for specialized training programs that are focused on youth mental health needs, awareness of community-based services, and de-escalation skills is growing across law enforcement agencies due to calls for service that involve youth in mental health crisis. The current study evaluates a juvenile mental health training for law enforcement that was developed based on agency needs. The training was completed by 159 officers and a pre-/post-test design was used. Findings suggest that officers were satisfied with the training and improvements were seen across several training constructs (confidence, preparedness, stigma, resource awareness, and de-escalation skills). Satisfaction with the training predicted change in confidence and preparedness. Recommendations for future research and the implementation of juvenile mental health trainings are discussed.     

Women in Federal Law Enforcement: The Role of Gender Role Orientations and Sexual Orientation in Mentoring

Women have always been under-represented in United States’ law enforcement relative to the population, but women are successful law enforcement officers who bring important skills to the field. Thus, understanding work experiences and the barriers female law enforcement officers face is critical in retaining and promoting women in the field. However, law enforcement is also a masculine, male-dominated occupation causing even greater occupational stress to women through discrimination, exclusion, and harassment (Kakar 2002). The goal of this study was to analyze the relationships among gender role orientations (masculinity and femininity), sexual orientation, and mentoring for female sworn federal law enforcement officers throughout the United States. It was hypothesized that (1) masculine female officers would receive more mentoring, (2) low femininity would enhance masculinity’s effect, (3) sexual minorities would receive less mentoring, negating the beneficial effects of masculinity when the interaction is taken into account, and last, (4) the 3-way interaction between masculinity, femininity, and sexual orientation would uniquely impact mentoring. In the current sample, masculinity was found to positively relate to career mentoring and role modeling whereas sexual orientation was negatively related to career mentoring. The three-way interaction between masculinity, femininity, and sexual orientation also significantly related to career mentoring and role modeling; implications and future directions are discussed.     

Motives to Report Stalking Cases to the Police: A Comparison Between a Large City and a Small Town in Italy

This study aimed to analyze the cases reported to police by women who were victims of stalking. The use of police offense records is well known in investigations of victims of this phenomenon as well as other violent crimes (e.g., domestic violence). The objective was to compare the 3 motives (own safety, other safety, change habits) indicated by victims in reporting the cases to police as recorded in case files. For each motive, a comparison was made of the characteristics of victims and stalkers, the nature of the relationship between the victims and stalkers, and the characteristics of the stalking campaign, the stalker’s behaviors, the consequences to the victims, and coping strategies. This information was reported by victims to police in a large city and small town in Italy. The comparison showed that victims in large cities were less prone to report stalking cases to the police than victims in small towns. Differences addressed the duration of the stalking campaign, the behaviors involved, the consequences, and the coping strategies adopted. Police forces could benefit from the results of this research in defining both training courses for police officers and prevention courses for the general population.     

Effects of Gender and Profession Type on Definitions of Violence Against Women in Hong Kong

This study investigated the criteria chosen by male and female Chinese public servants (clinical psychologists, social workers, police officers, physicians, nurses, teachers, and lawyers) in Hong Kong to classify and define violence against women. Data were gathered via questionnaires completed by 2589 (686 male) public servants from 10,476 polled (response rate 24.7%). The questionnaires included a 14-item check-list of various behaviors constituting violence against women and a 10-item check-list of criteria that could be used to categorize behavior as violence against women. It was found that for this population, use of physical force and lack of consent were the main determinants of violence against women. Only half of respondents considered murder a form of violence against women, the rest categorized it as a crime that was "not merely violence." Most respondents defined sexual harassment, rape, and unwanted physical contact as forms of violence against women. The female public servants were more likely to define behaviors as violence against women and to use more criteria to define violence against women. Public servants who worked with the law enforcement and legal system were more likely than others to choose narrow definitions and rigid criteria.     

The Tarasoff Warning and the Duty to Protect

Summary

Since the case of Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, mental health professionals have had an explicit legal duty to warn potential adult victims of violence. Subsequent case law expanded this standard to a broader duty-to-protect. Primary health care providers are increasingly treating psychiatric patients for whom the duty to protect is applicable. However, these providers are often unaware of the legal, ethical, and clinical issues involved. Assessment of violence risk should include demographic, psychiatric, and social dimensions. Interventions include notifying law enforcement authorities, potential victims, and possible use of psychiatric hospitalization to prevent aggressive behavior. The duty-to-protect as a standard-of-care has been applied to several other clinical situations, including impaired driving capacity, high-risk HIV behavior, and child sexual abuse. The article includes a step-by-step clinical protocol for evaluation and intervention in dangerous situations.     

Are police officers more likely to kill African-American suspects?

In recent psychological research decisions by police officers to shoot criminal suspects are often assumed to be racially biased, and it is concluded that officers are more likely to shoot African-American suspects. This assumption was tested with national data on persons killed during legal interventions and with data bearing on the African-American proportion of criminal suspects law enforcement officers face. Analysis indicates that the African-American share of persons killed by law enforcement officers, while higher than the African-American percentage of the U.S. population, is lower than one would expect based on the estimated African-American proportion of suspects confronted in violent encounters or the African-American percentage of suspects who kill police officers.     

The Knowledge of People Disappeared During Argentina’s Military Rule

Antonio Ruiz (a pseudonym) is an officer who took part in the Argentine 1976–1983 military rule and disappeared the body of a tortured woman. My aim is to offer an ethnographic account of the embodiment of the knowledge of bodies—the local moral worlds in which the officer Antonio and his wife lived and legitimated state violence by imagining themselves as victims, and Antonio subsequently followed his commander’s order and buried the body of a tortured woman. The armed forces provided soldiers of the armed formal manuals in which political violence was described as an ever-present threat. At home Antonio and his wife exchanged accounts detailing the risk of armed struggle to their fledgling family, with Antonio carrying out commissions of repression as father and husband and not only soldier. The narratives officers constructed and acted upon about themselves as imagined victims linger to this day in contemporary Argentina in the form of the disappeared—the missing thousands who remain unaccounted for, buried in unknown, clandestine graves or drowned alive at sea, with thousands of family members suspended in doubt, unsure where the disappeared might truly be, and whether they live or died.