Police Domestic Violence
PUBLISHED Feb 16, 2014
Domestic violence is 2 to 4 times more common in police families than in the general population. In two separate studies, 40% of police officers self-report that they have used violence against their domestic partners within the last year. In the general population, it’s estimated that domestic violence occurs in about 10% of families.
Police Domestic Violence | United Against Police Terror – San Diego
What he says and how he says it can be as effective as a weapon. He uses his command voice that he uses on-duty. When his face changes and he gets that look in his eyes and screams at you, you are terrified, and you say or do whatever you think he wants you to. He can achieve his goal without raising a hand to you. Many victims have quoted what their abusers say during such tirades. It turns out that most police abusers say the same things, word for word. These are some of their most common lines...
Police Abuse Tactics: Officer-involved domestic violence
Police officers may get special treatment in family violence cases, including access to weapons
Link between traditional police sub-culture
The link between traditional police sub-culture and police intimate partner violence
Lindsey Blumenstein, Lorie Fridell and Shayne Jones
Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
The current study includes three recognized characteristics of the traditional police sub-culture – authoritarianism, cynicism and burnout – creating a comprehensive model and thus a better understanding of its effect on police officer intimate partner violence.
The results showed that two of the aspects of the traditional police sub-culture, burnout and authoritarianism, were significantly related to psychological IPV. As both burnout and authoritarianism increase, the frequency of engaging in psychological intimate partner violence increases.
Authoritarianism was significantly related to psychological intimate partner
violence. To combat the dangerous violence and hostility, officers who adhere to the traditional police culture tend to use aggressive law enforcement tactics.
The public trusts the police to protect them; officers who engage in intimate partner
violence undermine this trust and therefore undermine the reputations of all police officers. It is important to continue this research in order to fully understand the relationships that effect police domestic violence.
Blumenstein, L., Fridell, L., & Jones, S. (2012). The link between traditional police sub-culture and police intimate partner violence. Policing : an international journal of police strategies & management, 35(1), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511211215496
When the batterer wears a badge
Ávila, A. (2015). When the Batterer Wears a Badge: Regulating Officer-Involved Domestic Violence as a Line-of-Duty Crime. American journal of criminal law, 42(3), 213.
In 2010, Michelle O'Connell a 24-year-old St. Augustine, Florida resident and mother of a 4-year-old girl was found dying in her household from a gunshot in the mouth. Her boyfriend, Jeremy Banks, was a deputy sheriff for St. Johns County in St. Augustine. Banks, who had been drinking, called 911 to report the shooting. He identified himself as a deputy sheriff and alleged that O'Connell had shot herself with his duty weapon. A few minutes later, the police arrived at the crime scene and found Banks's semiautomatic firearm next to O'Connell's body. Officers quickly escorted Banks out of the house and asked him to sober up. After conducting its investigation, the sheriff's office concluded O'Connell had taken her own life. The medical examiner opined this was a clear case of suicide. O'Connell's family, recalling that O'Connell was ecstatic over a new flu-time job and was a loving mother, was immediately suspicious of the sheriffs findings and called for an independent investigation.
Black and Blue Bloods: Protecting Police Officer Families from Domestic Violence
Officer‐involved domestic violence (OIDV) is a national problem, with police officer families having higher rates of domestic violence than non–police officer families. OIDV is also an underresearched problem with few studies or proposed solutions. Many victims of OIDV do not report their abuse precisely because their abuser is a police officer, whom they fear is in a unique position to protect him/herself from any legal consequences. Often, OIDV complaints are not investigated properly in a nonbiased manner. While a handful of police agencies around the country have developed specific policies and procedures to deal with OIDV, Washington State has enacted legislation that requires its police agencies to adopt OIDV‐specific policies. The International Associations of Chiefs of Police (IACP), an organization that addresses various issues confronting law enforcement, has also developed a model policy on OIDV. This Note proposes that, in light of the Washington legislation and the model policy proposed by the IACP, each state should enact a statute that requires its police agencies to develop policies on OIDV. This Note also outlines a specific set of procedures that such statutes should, at a minimum, require its police agencies to adopt, ranging from educating police officers on domestic violence to developing guidelines on responding to and investigating OIDV complaints. Keypoints for the Family Court Community: Officer‐involved domestic violence (OIDV) is a serious problem within police officer families. Police officers face unique challenges that lead to a high rate of domestic violence. Police officer families need states’ assistance in countering OIDV.
Cheema, R. (2016). Black and Blue Bloods: Protecting Police Officer Families from Domestic Violence. Family court review, 54(3), 487-500. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12226
DV can be countered by requiring police agencies to adopt guidelines for dealing with it.
When the batterer is a law enforcement officer
Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Police Officers
Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Police Officers: Is It Self-Control or the Desire-To-Be-In-Control that Matters More?
While a number of studies have documented the correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by police officers, no study to date has examined the influence of self-control (i.e., self-regulation) and the desire-to-be-in-control on this study population. Therefore, data obtained from the Police Stress and Domestic Violence in Police Families in Baltimore, Maryland, 1997-1999 were analyzed to determine what influence, if any, these variables have on IPV. Results from logistic regression models indicated that self-control was not related to IPV, but the desire-to-be-in-control was found to be positive and significant in predicting the dependent variable. This study provided further evidence that IPV may be the result of a person's desire to attain and maintain power and control over their partner's behavior.
Zavala, E., & Melander, L. A. (2019). Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Police Officers: Is It Self-Control or the Desire-To-Be-In-Control that Matters More? Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma, 28(2), 166-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2018.1531960
Patient-Centric Approach in Research
The health impacts of violence perpetrated by police, military and other public security forces on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in El Salvador
Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men face both high levels of violence and a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes. We explored violence perpetrated against Salvadoran gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by public security forces; perceived motivations of violence; and impacts on health. We conducted structured qualitative interviews with 20 participants and used systematic coding and narrative analysis to identify emergent themes. Nearly all participants described the physical, emotional, sexual and/or economic violence by public security forces. Most attributed being targeted to their gender expression and/or perceived sexual orientation. The most common impact was emotional distress, including humiliation, fear and depression; lasting physical injuries were also widely reported. Study participants felt unable to report these incidents for fear of retribution or inaction. Men reported feelings of helplessness and distrust, avoidance of authorities and altering when, where or how often they appeared in public spaces. Programs and interventions should focus on providing mental health services for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) victims of violence, educating public security forces on the legal rights of Salvadorans and expanding current LGBTI-inclusive policies to all public security forces.
Davis, D. A., Morales, G. J., Ridgeway, K., Mendizabal, M., Lanham, M., Dayton, R., Cooke, J., Santi, K., & Evens, E. (2020). The health impacts of violence perpetrated by police, military and other public security forces on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in El Salvador. Culture, health & sexuality, 22(2), 217-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2019.1582801
Survivors Story
Officer Involved Domestic Violence: A Survivor Story - The Hotline
It’s a topic that is discussed very little. It’s a topic that the public has little knowledge of. It’s a topic that is not given enough attention: Officer Involved Domestic Violence (OIDV).
Estimates vary, yet it’s estimated between 20-40%* of law enforcement families/significant others experience domestic violence. The International Association of Chiefs of Police have developed a model policy. Departments are encouraged to adopt policy, but it is not a requirement. Measuring enforcement, within a department, is difficult for the public to assess.
I met him online December 2014. We started dating March 2015. The relationship started like any other. Fun times, laughter and sharing experiences. Looking back, I can clearly see the early warning signs: the sarcastic comments, the commanding tone of voice, the impatience, deflection, moodiness and negativity.
I grew up having respect for members of the law enforcement community. It is a thankless job that most people dare not venture into. It is a job that takes courage, strength, wisdom. When I see a man or woman wearing the badge I immediately think I am safe and secure in their presence. This is what I initially thought when I met him.
Dating a police officer is a bit different that dating a “regular” guy. Members are usually intense type-A personalities. They are suspicious of most people they encounter and rightly so. They are astute observers of their environment, as they need to be. Not every man you go out in public with carries a weapon or two. They see things day in and day out that you and I will never see and never understand. Murder, blood, child abuse, rape, robberies. They encounter citizens every day that lie to them, evade them, and try to out maneuver them physically and mentally. After many years it takes its toll.
I understood this to the best of my ability. I made it my responsibility to be light-hearted, loving, happy and humorous whenever we spent time together. I wanted to be that pleasurable beacon of light that he could come home to. I wanted him to forget the pressure of his workday. Yes, even in small town Colorado, there is stress in being a cop.
I did not understand the dynamics of domestic violence. I misunderstood and assumed “domestic violence” is strictly physical assault. I had no idea the definition was broader: Verbal, mental, financial, digital, spiritual, stalking. I had no idea during my time with him that what I was experiencing is domestic violence.
Eventually, his behavior escalated from moodiness, negativity and snarky sarcasm to fits of anger. If I did not live up to his standards, if I did not say intelligent things (as perceived by him, of course), if I behaved in a goofy, funny way, it would usually trigger a reaction from him and not a pleasant one. I can’t even begin to count the number of times that my jovial attitude was described as “disturbing” by him. I realize now that he is an unhappy person and his demeaning comments to me were designed to erode my confidence in myself.
After being on the receiving end of his “discipline” many times, I would start to tear up. If we were in public, I was told numerous times to, “GET IN THE CAR”, “DON’T YOU CREATE A SCENE!!!” If I did something as innocent as sing to the music playing in the restaurant (not loud, mind you) I was told I shouldn’t sing at the dinner table. Everything I did was scrutinized and judged. I was made to feel inferior. Nothing was ever right. Nothing was ever correct. I was treated like a child. I was always chastised in a commanding voice. I was brought to tears with shaking hands several times. He never took responsibility for the fact that his abuse is what would trigger my fear, my tears and my shakes. I have so many specific stories that could contribute to this blog, but there are too many to list here.
Stories he communicated to me about his past during our relationship did not make sense to me. I always felt like he was leaving out details; that I was not getting the full story. I walked on eggshells constantly – even when things seemed good. Afraid of the next outburst. Afraid of the next snarky, condescending comment.
Verbal abuse and psychological abuse are rarely talked about. Like myself at one point, the public is not educated on the dynamics of abuse. People assume abuse is strictly physical assault. Many people are unaware that prior to the relationship escalating to physical assault, if it escalates, it ALWAYS starts with verbal and psychological abuse.
I am free because I started to “investigate” him while we were still together. I found a link to an online dating site. He denied he was using the site. Was that the truth? I will never know for certain. It had already been proven that he was not safe or trustworthy for me. He did not like that I was looking into who he is and attempting to look into his past. Once again, it was turned back on to me – that I have trust issues. I now understand that for what it was: deflection. The relationship ended in September 2015.
After processing what happened to me, I reached out to his Chief of Police in February 2016. His Chief forwarded my e-mail to an investigator at the DA’s office in a neighboring county. The investigator reached out to me. On March 21, 2016, I spent 1.5 hours telling my story to the investigator. I was seeing a therapist at the time and she advised me that after he interviews “him” I have every right to review the report. I thought about it for a few days. I decided that I did not need to read the report. I lived it. I know what happened. Besides, his version in the report more than likely would have been full of manipulation and blaming me. I did not need to regress my healing and reading the report might have. I remember driving back to Denver, down the mountain, and feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. I will NEVER forget that feeling. A weight was lifted off my shoulders that day. It was then that I was able to move forward. I am grateful to the Chief for forwarding the e-mail. I found my voice.Because of the abuse I endured, I now lend my voice to various domestic abuse organizations to create awareness and I educate our communities about domestic violence. I have met with legislators in my state of Colorado, and I have met with Chiefs of Police. I continue to educate advocates and law enforcement about Officer Involved Domestic Violence. I will continue to speak at national conferences, give keynote addresses and write in public forums. I will never be silent about what happened to me because I know that I have helped others to process what happened to them.
My mission is to encourage and inspire others to speak out.
My name is Nanette Chezum and I am a thriving survivor of Officer Involved Domestic Violence.