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June
Abuse arrest policies push gender bias: report
Biased domestic violence arrest policies are
violating the civil rights of innocent Americans
and allowing abusers to go free, according to a
report released today. The report,
“Predominant Aggressor Policies: Leaving the
Abuser Unaccountable?” charges such policies
violate 14th Amendment equal protection guarantees
and worsen the cycle of violence.
The analysis is published by SAVE – Stop
Abusive and Violent Environments, and is available
online: www.saveservices.org/downloads/Predominant-Aggressor-Policies
The report analyzes domestic violence policies
in 23 states designed to guide law enforcement
personnel in arrest decisions. The document calls
on states with predominant aggressor laws to repeal
such policies.
The predominant aggressor report follows
SAVE’s recent release of “Assaulting
our Rights: How Domestic Violence Laws Curtail Our
Fundamental Freedoms,” which concludes
abuse laws result in the curtailment of civil
liberties of over 2 million Americans each
year.
Research shows men and women are equally likely
to instigate acts of partner aggression: www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm
. But in Roanoke, Va., police officers are
instructed to assess the “Height/weight of
parties,” a criterion that openly biases the
officer to arrest the male.
In Maine, law enforcement personnel are expected
to assess the “Power and control
dynamics.” Law enforcement expert Richard
Davis of Plymouth College, Mass. charges these
criteria represent “more a polemic ideological
rant than a domestic violence intervention
program.”
In several states, police are told to evaluate
“Risk or potential of future injury.” But
experts question the scientific basis of such
recommendations.
“Predominant aggressor laws pressure police
officers to arrest the man regardless of who called
the police or what person instigated the
abuse,” according to SAVE spokesman Carl
Starling. “Females that provoke violent acts
are not held accountable for their abusive
behavior, while innocent men end up with an arrest
record for life.”
Last September, San Diego Chargers linebacker
Shawne Merriman was arrested on charges of domestic
violence, following an accusation by an inebriated
woman. Lacking any evidence of harm, the D.A.
dropped the charges. Columnist Dean Tong later
wrote, “Shawne Merriman was falsely accused of
domestic abuse charges, but may always carry a
scarlet letter emblazoned upon his name.”
©2010, Trudy W.
Schuett
* * *
Trudy W.
Schuett is an Arizona-based online veteran with 10
years in cyberspace; an author and multiblogger.
She has held workshops on blogging, writing, and
promo for writers at the New Communications Forum
and Arizona Western College, and has participated
in world blogging events such as Global PR Blog
Week. She is also an advocate for unserved victims
of domestic violence. She is is the author of three
novels, two how-to books and eight blogs. Note:
Books are currently out of print, but two appear in
blog form. She currently publishes New Perspectives
on Partner Abuse at partnerabuse.com.
She has a video at her site that provides a look
into the circumstance of a few men. Entitled,
Husband
Beaters
It is in five parts and was part of the Secret
Lives of Women series on the WE network. She
publishes the AZ
Rural Times
and New
Perspectives on Partner
Abuse ,
she is on Twitter
and Facebook
She lives in Yuma AZ, with her husband, Paul.
desertlightjournal.blog-city.com/
or E-Mail.
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