Domestic Violence: A Serious Crime Problem or a Media-Induced Moral Panic?

• In Event: Pushing the Panic Button: Societal Influences on the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Domestic violence has been a key concern in the criminal justice system for the past 35 years. In the early 1980s, the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment demonstrated the need for mandatory arrest for domestic violence calls. It was believed that if an individual was arrested, the individual would be deterred from committing further domestic violence crime. However, research, as well as the prevalence rates of domestic violence incidents has found that mandatory arrests are in fact ineffective at reducing domestic violence rates. In fact, currently, one in every four women and one in every sixteen men will experience domestic violence at some point throughout their lifetime. Therefore, this presentation will discuss the history of mandatory arrests for domestic violence incidents, the ineffectiveness of these arrests, and media reaction to domestic violence overall.

Author

• Samantha M. Gavin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania