Influences on Officer Perception of Risk of Future Violence in Domestic Violence Calls

• In Event: Police Approaches to Restorative Justice, Domestic Violence, and At-Risk Young Fathers

Abstract

This research investigates the factors that influence officers’ ratings of risk of future violence in domestic violence incidents. Police perceptions of the likelihood of future violence were measured directly through retrospective self-reports of recent domestic violence calls. Incident factors (such as presence of an injury, victim or offender race/sex) and officer factors (such as race, sex and training history) are analyzed to assess the influence on perception of risk of future violence. Prior work by this author identified the influence of perception of risk on arrest decisions, and this research seeks to identify those variables that influence risk ratings. Scant research explores how attribution of risk impacts decision-making. Investigating influences on officer perception of risk of future violence may allow for greater understanding of the context of decision-making and bias.

Author

• Anjali Fulambarker, University of Illinois at Chicago