This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by MEDERER, H. J. Articles by GELLES, R. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by MEDERER, H. J. Articles by GELLES, R. J. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Compassion or Control

Intervention in Cases of Wife Abuse

University of Rhode Island

RICHARD J. GELLES

University of Rhode Island

Family disturbance calls, many of which involve violence between spouses, constitute the single largest category of calls received by the police each year. In the last few years, the method of police intervention has changed from apparent indifference or compassionate mediation to firmer control and mandatory arrest. The change has occurred even though there are but two empirical studies that indicate that control strategies might be effective in reducing wife beating and there have been no formal evaluations of the theory underlying the alternative approaches police might use to intervene in cases of wife abuse. This article examines the change in intervention strategies. We critically analyze the reasons for the change to controlling interventions and then examine the assumptions, goals, advantages, and disadvantages of each alternative approach. Finally, we develop the theoretical aspects of each strategy.

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 4, No. 1, 25-43 (1989)
DOI: 10.1177/088626089004001002


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?