The International Association of Chiefs of Police acknowledges that officers commit domestic violence at rates similar to the general population, and that prevention efforts are essential. However, more needs to be done to train officers on this topic. In this study by researchers at Florida State University and the University of Michigan, officers completed FSU’s free web-based training, the National Prevention Toolkit on Officer-Involved Domestic Violence (hereafter, “Toolkit”) funded by the Verizon Foundation: http://nationaltoolkit.csw.fsu.edu. Surveys completed anonymously contained two case scenarios of OIDV; officers were asked both before and after the training to indicate how likely they were to engage in a wide variety of behaviors.

Results

In the post-training survey, officers increased the average likelihood of reporting that they would:
Arrest the perpetrator — from 26% to 47%
Report to one’s supervisor — from 81.5% to 87.8%
Assist the victim with obtaining help through a domestic violence hotline or center — from 41.4% to 74.9%

Implications

Evidence suggests that police officers benefit from prevention training on officer-involved domestic violence. Law enforcement agencies should implement training on OIDV, ensure that agency staff such as EAPs and chaplains have training on OIDV, and promote policies that provide clear direction to officers for prevention and intervention. More studies should be conducted to explore these relationships.

Recommendations

Recommend the perpetrator contact Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — from 62.9% to 73.3%
Ask the victim specific questions about perpetrator’s history of abusive behaviors — from 41.7% to 72.7%
Also, 74% said that they were more likely to seek help for DV; 79% said the training would increase officer’s willingness to report other officers for OIDV; 84% said they were more willing to intervene in suspected cases of OIDV, and nearly 80% said that the training can be used by officers to keep their families safe.

To view a complete version of the study for free, click here.

Contact: Karen Oehme, Director, Institute for Family Violence Studies Florida State University koehme@fsu.edu.

The Toolkit was funded by the Verizon Foundation.