Domestic Violence Case Study

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There is no doubt that domestic violence has thrived in silence for centuries. The perpetuated ignorance in regards to this issue has resulted in the continuous victimization of individuals that suffer at the hands of their batterers. Until the 1970’s, law enforcement and the American justice system continuously overlooked domestic violence victims (Meadows, 2014). The groundbreaking case that addressed law enforcement officials on their failure to protect victims of domestic violence is Thurman v. City of Torrington (1984). In this particular case the police failed to respond to multiple calls from a victim that was being brutally beaten (Meadows, 2014).The victim was told that police would respond but police never made it to the scene. The …show more content…
This case highlights the need for police to treat calls for domestic violence more seriously (Meadows, 2014). Moreover, this case brings attention to the fact that domestic violence is not treated as a serious offense by law enforcement officials. As a result, mandatory arrest laws have been put in place by various states making it easier for police to arrest abusers (Meadows, 2014). The concept of vertical prosecution was adopted by several states in efforts to improve their chances of convicting an abuser (Meadows, 2014). When a domestic violence case receives vertical prosecution a specially trained district attorney handles the case from the filing process up until completion (Meadows, 2014). Some states even adopted stricter policies such as the “must arrest” approach while others adopted less restrictive policies such as the “pro arrest” approach (Meadows, 2014). The question is, “Do these laws actually hurt or help victims of domestic violence?” Without effective legislation, consistent police enforcement, and community support victims remain vulnerable to the long term consequences of domestic violence and lack protection against …show more content…
Intimate partner violence is described as actual or threatened physical or sexual violence or psychological/emotional abuse by a significant other in the context of marriage, divorce, boyfriend/girlfriend or ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend (Meadows, 2014). Alarmingly, this particular type of violence is underreported. According to research, more than 18% of women attacked by an intimate partner did not report the attack compared to 3% when the attacker was a stranger (Meadows, 2014). The sad reality is that women are victimized the most by individuals they know and trust. The confines of a woman’s home is one of the most dangerous places for her (Pbs.org, n.d.). Women are beaten, sexual assaulted, and even killed in their homes by an intimate partner. According to Pbs.org (n.d.) approximately 1,500 women are murdered each year by husbands or boyfriends. Victims of intimate partner violence are faced with even more obstacles when trying to get out of the situation. Victims fear losing their children, being homeless, losing financial stability or experiencing more harm by the abuser. Women are plagued with the dilemma of not having anywhere to go. The third leading cause of homelessness among families is domestic violence (O’Neill, 2016). The barriers that women face when trying to leave their abusers are crippling. In this respect a
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