An Examination of the Escalation of Domestic Violence Incidents in South Carolina

• In Event: Research on Victim and Offender Risk for Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Given the prevalence of domestic violence, research in this area is quite expansive. Nevertheless, one area within the literature that is deserving of further examination is the escalation of specific domestic violence incidents. This allows for a deeper analysis of interpersonal and situational factors within individual domestic violence events that can contribute to escalation within the event itself. While extremely limited, current literature focusing on escalation often assesses the escalation of intimate partner violence (IPV) or family violence (FV), with only one article focusing on the escalation of domestic violence; however, none of these studies have been conducted in the United States. The current project aims to fill this gap in the literature by examining the escalation of domestic violence incidents in South Carolina by (1) identifying the themes of escalation and de-escalation of domestic violence incidents and (2) analyzing common pathways or sequences of escalation and de-escalation among domestic violence incidents. These goals will be achieved by examining prosecutorial narratives of the case, warrants, and incident reports for 801 domestic violence charges. Thus, the findings can inform intervention programs, like batterer’s treatment, where knowing event-related triggers can inform best practices in handling situations of this kind in the future.

Author

• Kaitlen Hubbard, University of South Carolina