Odds of Arrest in Child-Parent Violence Cases by State-Level Domestic Violence Arrest Policies

• In Event: Policies and Practices of Family and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention

Abstract

While criminologists have long studied the nature and consequences of family violence, research focused explicitly on juveniles who perpetrate violence against their parents or guardians remains underdeveloped. In particular, we know little about whether variations in state-level domestic violence arrest laws influence arrest rates in child-to-parent violence cases. Previously, Strom et al. (2014) used incident-level data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) from 2000-2004 to investigate this relationship. Utilizing logistic regressions, they found that mandatory arrest policies were associated with increased odds of arrest, suggesting these policies could lead to arrests that would otherwise not be deemed appropriate. The current study aimed to replicate Strom et al. (2014) with more recent data. Using incident-level data from NIBRS from 2017-2019 and mirroring their analysis, this study found that mandatory arrest policies were associated with a decrease in odds of arrest compared to discretionary policies, contrasting the findings from Strom et al. (2014). These findings may indicate that mandatory arrest policies provide more guidance for when arrests in child-parent violence incidents are appropriate, demonstrating the need for further research, policy, and practice development on child-parent violence.

Author

• Hannah Sedlacek, University of South Carolina