Police Response to Domestic Violence: Situations Involving Veterans Exhibiting Signs of Mental Illness*

Abstract

Drawing on attribution theory, research on police discretion, and public attitudes toward mental illness, we examine attributional processes in police decision making in response to domestic violence situations involving veterans and nonveterans with signs of mental illness. Using data from experimental vignettes varying veteran status, victim injury, and suspect compliance administered to a sample of 309 police officers, the results indicate that 1) veterans are perceived as less responsible for troublesome behavior but more dangerous than nonveterans, 2) suspects' veteran status has a significant effect on officers' preference for mental health treatment versus arrest, and 3) part of the effect of veteran status on officer response is mediated by internal and external attributions for problematic behavior and by perceptions of dangerousness. The study empirically demonstrates countervailing processes in police decision making-recognition of the causes for troublesome behavior and the need for mental health treatment on the one hand and concern for community safety and enforcing the law on the other.

Understanding the Components and Determinants of Police Attitudes Toward Intervention in Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: A Systematic Review

“…Most reviewed articles examined the theme of minimal police involvement (73.7%), on which 165 content units of reactive police attitudes rest, including 11 subthemes. Most police officers showed a preference for passive responses through mediation (Friday et al, 1991; Markowitz & Watson, 2015). Other identified subthemes were dual arrest , willingness to use police discretion , conditional intervention , and no intervention because of police opinions (Finn & Bettis, 2006).…”

Effects of Perceived Public Regard on the Well-Being of Military Veterans

“…Also, when bringing (well-intentioned) publicity to the “negative” consequences of military service, such as the increased risk of mental health problems, emphasis might be placed on attributing problems to “external” causes such as stress, trauma, and the challenges of reintegration rather than to “internal” character faults, or other causes under one’s control. Research suggests that in crisis situations, including those involving veterans, when mental health problems are attributed to external rather than internal causes, persons are somewhat more sympathetic and less punitive and favor more therapeutic responses (Corrigan et al 2003; Hipes and Gemoets 2019; Markowitz and Watson 2015). From the perspective of veterans, in addition to encouraging help-seeking from peers and professionals, training and support in navigating key civilian contexts (e.g., work, relationships, college), with particular focus on how to discuss one’s military experiences, may help facilitate successful postservice transition (Kintzle and Castro 2018).…”

“If It Goes Horribly Wrong the Whole World Descends on You”: The Influence of Fear, Vulnerability, and Powerlessness on Police Officers’ Response to Victims of Head Injury in Domestic Violence

“…A clinical vignette was used to promote discussion about responses to head trauma. The vignette was based on Markowitz and Watson [ 56 ], and briefly described an incident of DV involving a woman who had been assaulted to her head with varying features of clinical interest (visible HI and symptoms of concussion).…”