Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025

09:12
The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
70.7K
Outcomes Associated with Arrest for Domestic Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Rachel A Connor1, Laura Johnson2, Matthew Bridgeman1
1Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Trauma, Violence & Abuse
|October 12, 2024
Summary
Arrest for domestic violence (DV) does not consistently reduce repeat offenses and may have disparate impacts. Research is outdated, lacking diversity and focusing narrowly on recidivism, necessitating a re-evaluation of current policies.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Arrest policies for domestic violence (DV) are a cornerstone of criminal justice interventions.
- Existing research on the effectiveness of DV arrest is extensive but often outdated and limited in scope.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the outcomes of DV arrest for victims and perpetrators.
- To identify gaps in current research, particularly concerning race/ethnicity and intersectionality.
- To inform policy decisions regarding DV arrest and explore alternative strategies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of 5 databases for quantitative studies published from 1984 onwards.
- Inclusion criteria focused on adult populations, individual-level outcomes, and DV arrest as the independent variable.
- Narrative synthesis for race/ethnicity analysis and meta-analysis for repeat violence outcomes.
Main Results:
- Arrest for DV does not consistently reduce repeat violence, with outcomes varying by comparator type and victim demographics.
- Analysis by race/ethnicity revealed significant reporting gaps and a lack of intersectional studies.
- The majority of studies examined only repeat violence, neglecting a broader range of outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Current research on DV arrest is largely outdated and lacks diversity, limiting its generalizability and utility.
- Policymakers should consider the potential for disparate impacts and explore alternatives to mandatory arrest.
- Future research must adopt an intersectional approach, prioritize survivor perspectives, and examine a wider array of outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship Formation
39.9K
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
39.9K
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
43.3K
Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
43.3K
Parenting Styles
63
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
63
Conduct Disorder
30
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
30
Statistical Significance
20.1K
Once data is collected from both the experimental and the control groups, a statistical analysis is conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups. A statistical analysis determines how likely any difference found is due to chance (and thus not meaningful). In psychology, group differences are considered meaningful, or significant, if the odds that these differences occurred by chance alone are 5 percent or less. Stated another way, if we repeated this...
20.1K
Bystander Effect
9.5K
The discussion of bullying highlights the problem of witnesses not intervening to help a victim. This is a common occurrence, as the following well-publicized event demonstrates. In 1964, in Queens, New York, a 19-year-old woman named Kitty Genovese was attacked by a person with a knife near the back entrance to her apartment building and again in the hallway inside her apartment building. When the attack occurred, she screamed for help numerous times and eventually died from her stab wounds.
9.5K

