Domestic violence: Policy, procedure, and reality

The gradual development of victim's rights laws and policies have been explored extensively in the past, as they were a critical element in the fight for the rights of crime victims, particularly for victims of domestic violence. The existing policies and solutions relating to the victims and perpetrators call for domestic violence cases to be handled within the criminal justice system. There are very few alternative penalties employed for this violent and abusive behavior outside of criminal punishment. Research has shown that the arrest of offenders and the involvement of the criminal justice system within abusive domestic relationships is often an ineffective solution. The issues surrounding domestic violence are complex, yet the strategies currently used to deal with them lack the necessary sophistication needed for a solution. These strategies are greatly in need of review and expansion.;The sociological focus of this work will address the following questions: How effective are the policies and procedures that are currently being used by departments within the criminal justice system regarding the issues surrounding domestic violence? Are these policies effective, adequate and instrumental in helping to insure the rights and safety of the victims of domestic violence? Do these policies and procedures serve in the best interests of the perpetrators of domestic violence? This work examines the existing policies based on current scholarship and incorporates experiences during an internship with the Victim Services Division at the States Attorney's office in a suburb of Illinois.;In this paper, I first explore the history of domestic violence, and the role of the grassroots organizations responsible for creating and passing legislation making violence in domestic relationships a criminal action. The role of the patriarchal society is also briefly explained as it relates to domestic violence. Next, the definition of domestic violence, the statistics surrounding both assaults and homicides in domestic relationships as well as the propensity of the issues of domestic violence are explored as they are understood on both a local and a national level. The current research on domestic violence policies and procedures is assessed as it relates to victims, offenders and the actors within the criminal justice system. Finally, actual cases, incidences and court documents are used to show the often complex and difficult circumstances that surround all who are involved in domestic violence situations.