| While several studies have explored the circumstances of battered women who
kill their abusers less has been written concerning female domestic
violence offenders charged with lesser offenses. This paper presents the
results of a study of 40 women who were arrested and charged with domestic
violence misdemeanors. The women were interviewed on two occasions, prior
to beginning a court ordered treatment program and after completing the
program, about their experiences with the police and in court. The study
examines the effects of the criminal justice system intervention on women's
behavior, self-definitions, and attitudes toward domestic violence and the
criminal justice system. The majority of the women in the study had not
previously been arrested and the experience of arrest and incarceration had
a profound effect on them. The women's use of violence is examined
contextually with attention to the complex relationship between their
victimization and use of aggression. While the women gain a different
perspective concerning the nature of the police response to domestic
violence incidents over the course of their treatment, they voice a strong
disinclination to call the police in the future. This finding raises
important questions about the effectiveness of current policy, the accuracy
of recidivism measures, and the effect of proactive arrest procedures on
battered women.
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Updated 05/20/2006