Police response to victims of domestic and non-domestic violence.

The research assesses whether police respond differently to victims of domestic and non-domestic interpersonal conflicts. Though many laws and policies have been introduced since the 1980s to enhance police responses to and protection of victims of domestic violence, very few studies have empirically examined police assistance or support toward victims of both domestic and non-domestic conflicts. Using data collected by a large-scale observational project, this research analyzes officer-initiated assistances and police responses to victim requests during conflict resolution. Findings show that police are more likely to provide assistances on their own initiative to victims of domestic violence than victims of non-domestic violence. Police, however, do not differ significantly in their responses to requests made by victims of domestic and non-domestic conflicts. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.