Virtuous and Vicious Acts in Law Enforcement

Domestic violence cases are in most situations handled differently depending on the laws of various countries.   Some regions authorized these cases to be solved by local elders while in others; they are dealt with by the criminal justice systems. For example, in the United States, nearly half of the states have enacted mandatory arrest provisions to any partner who violates the rights of his or her spouse (Belinda 2014). This paper pays high attention to the factors that police should consider before making an arrest in a domestic violence situation, and an indication of whether domestic violence cases should be handled by the criminal justice system or some other social service organizations.

Before making an arrest, police should consider the long-term health of the victim. Numerous studies depict that domestic violence victims whose spouses are arrested on misdemeanor charges are more likely to die than those whose partners are warned by the police. According to Lawrence Sherman, these victims die years later due to health-related reasons, such as cancer, heart disease or other internal disorders. Consecutively, police should consider the economic status of the victims whose spouses are to be arrested. A study that was conducted in 2013 at Milwaukee shows that most black women, whose partners had been arrested on domestic violence grounds were more likely to die compared to their white counterparts (Belinda 2014). This was due to the low economic status of black women. In addition, black women who were employed were likely to die due to the intensive fear of losing respect in the workplace, when their partners were arrested.

Though criminal justice systems help to protect the rights of partners, especially women, from being violated by their spouses, they are not the best for handling domestic violence cases. Other social service organizations, such as rehabilitation centers should be opted in handling domestic violence cases. For example, alcohol abuse treatments can help men from violating the rights of their spouses (Belinda 2014).

Work cited

Belinda Luscombe: When Not to Arrest an Abuser in a Domestic Violence Case. Published March 5, 2014. Retrieved from, http://time.com/12682/when-not-to-arrest-an-abuser-in-a-domestic-violence-case/.