Forums | MPASA

19 May 2011, 13:30

Incentives to Preventing Domestic Violence in Connecticut

Abstract

Domestic violence is an ongoing issue that has been rapidly increasing throughout the years. It seems more and more women are being victimized by spouses and instead of looking for different ways to solve the problem, authorities try to sweep it under the rug, alleging family matters are to be kept private. The propose of this research is to take a closer look at the training programs and incentives implemented within police authorities when handling such cases. The research took place in the state of Connecticut and the data was collected through interviews and surveys. We sat down with a few officers from different communities within Connecticut to see how each departments responds to domestic servicing calls and the training program implemented. The survey was distributed to women all over the state to see how often women report domestic disputes to the authorities and reasons why some women do not report it. This research allowed a glimpse at what goes on behind the scene of a domestic violence call.

It resulted that each police department has a specialized unit to deal with domestic violence. In the state of Connecticut, domestic violence is one of the most common cases being reported today and because of it, there is ongoing remedial training for all officers. Authorities also work alongside agencies geared to help these women get the proper help they need. Officers refer the victims to women’s centers for advocacy purposes. However, most women do not report domestic violence to authorities for fear of future violence. Most women feel the police worsen the situation and never do they feel safe. Women do not want to deal with the hassle and timely court proceedings and therefore do not bother with it.

Pam Regus