title: Attitudes and beliefs about domestic violence: results of a public opinion survey: I. Definitions of domestic violence, criminal domestic violence, and prevalence.
abstract: This study reports analyses and findings from a public opinion survey designed to explore beliefs about domestic violence (DV)-what it is, when it is against the law, and how prevalent it is. The project interviewed 1,200 residents from six New York communities. The analyses reveal substantial firsthand and secondhand experience with DV and strong consensus that acts of physical aggression should be labeled as DV, but substantially less certainty about the illegality of the abusive behaviors. Overall, the respondents were less inclined to define women's aggressive behavior in pejorative or unlawful terms than men's. Respondents believed that DV was common in their communities, and that it affected a significant minority of couples. Multivariate analyses provide little support for conventional wisdom about the impact of socioeconomic background on tolerance for or knowledge about DV, although gender, generation, and secondhand familiarity with DV incidents play a role in opinions and beliefs.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA.
authors.forename: Bonnie E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Alissa Pollitz
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Worden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011639:Public Opinion; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires