Criminalization of Domestic Violence: Promises and Limits. Presentation at the211 Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation (1995)

摘要

This paper presents a review of the promises and limitations of the211u001ecriminalization efforts in domestic violence. The reforms of the past 20 years 211u001ehave not been adequately evaluated with respect to their deterrence goals, 211u001edespite the institutionalization of law and policy to criminalize domestic 211u001eviolence. Basic research on interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and the 211u001eeffectiveness of legal sanctions also has been segregated from the development 211u001eand evaluation of criminalization reform efforts. This paper addresses these 211u001econcerns. It begins with a brief history of the development of modern legal 211u001ereforms in domestic violence and examines their theoretical underpinnings. Next, 211u001eit reviews the empirical evidence on the deterrent effects of criminal and civil 211u001elegal sanctions for domestic violence. Then, the unique contexts of domestic 211u001eviolence are examined to identify factors that influence the deterrent effects of 211u001ecriminal justice reforms. These include both exogenous influences in communities 211u001eand legal institutions and endogenous factors unique to the context of domestic 211u001eviolence. The paper concludes with an agenda for building an empirical base for 211u001eknowledge and policy to control domestic violence.