Men vs. Women : Domestic Violence Arrest

Feder and Henning discuss the possible reasons behind the recent increase in the number of women arrested for domestic violence. They evaluate a study which, “compares demographic characteristics, criminal history variables, and the past domestic violence history of men (n D 5,578)and women (n D 1,126) arrested for domestic assault against a heterosexual intimate partner.” (p. 69) The study discussed in this article “… compares the demographic characteristics, severity of intimate partner violence, and the criminal histories of men and women arrested for assaulting an intimate partner.”(p.69) This study provided information on the women arrested for domestic violence in hopes of determining the factors behind their rise in arrests which could lead to better treatment and rehabilitation. As men have traditionally been the majority of domestic violence arrests, the criminal justice system is extensively educated on their issues where as women have been largely omitted from this kind of training. “Additionally, this study seeks to shed light on the debate concerning the equivalency of violence between male and female intimate partners.” (p.72) The study took samples of men and women arrested for domestic violence and compared and contrasted their percentages and severity of the crimes committed. “Using victim reported information and data collected by local criminal justice agencies, we found that female arrestees were significantly less likely than males to have histories that warrant concern regarding the potential for future violence.” (p. 69) This conclusion supports the numbers in the past that men are more likely to commit domestic violence than women, but also notes the increasing numbers of women committing crimes. “Finally, the present study adds a new direction to the continuing debate over the “equivalency of violence” between men and women. Specifically, researchers need to go beyond studying gender differences in the prevalence of intimate