title: "Aren't I a victim?": Notes on identity challenges relating to police action in a mandatory arrest jurisdiction.
abstract: The mandated arrest of domestic violence perpetrators is a policy response to the problem of partner violence. Mandatory arrest can result, however, in unintended and sometimes undesirable arrest outcomes, including dual arrests (when both parties are arrested), retaliatory arrests (when the perpetrator has his or her partner wrongfully arrested), and failures to make an arrest (when one is warranted by law). Using an interactionist perspective, this research focuses on one negative effect of mandatory arrest: the identity challenge faced by female victims of domestic violence who experience undesirable arrest outcomes. The authors discuss policy implications, focusing on the potential empowerment effects of mandatory arrest.
authors.affiliation: John Jay College, City University of New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Valli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rajah
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frye
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haviland
mesh_terms: D018585:Battered Women / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D003068:Coercion; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D016495:Police; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires