Domestic violence has been ingrained into the fabric of American culture. In the past, such violence against women has been overlooked by society, even condoned. It has gone from being a private problem to a social ill. Its affect has reached epidemic proportions in the United States of America. Although men and women are victims of this violence, women overwhelmingly comprise the majority of those who are victimized. Among these women, African American women experience higher rates of victimization than women from other ethnic groups. This thesis defines and discusses domestic violence in the context of the dynamics of violent relationships, the functions of violence, the characteristics of abusers and victims, the causes of violence, and its prevalence in the United States. It also highlights domestic violence from the unique prospective of African American women. Particular emphasis was focused toward the experiences of African American women in the United States of America, And the impact these experiences have had on their romantic relationships. Data obtained from 36 African American college students was used to highlight information presented in the literature.

published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2011

Thesis (D. Min.)--Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-172).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2001. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-212). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ67917.

This thesis aimed to understand the factors which shape the police and CPS response to domestic violence in the light of recent policy changes which recommended arrest in such cases. The decisions made by victims, police and prosecutors were charted in over one thousand three hundred reported cases of domestic violence in the Thames Valley during a seven month period in 1993. A random sample of 387 of these incidents were examined in detail. The study sought to understand the needs, desires and expectations of victims and how their choices impacted on the decisions made by police and prosecutors. Having evaluated feminist theories, the thesis argues that police and prosecutors do not randomly exercise their discretion nor can their response be explained by reference to cultural or individual prejudices. Rather, their decisions are best understood in terms of a set of informal 'working rules' developed by police and prosecutors for dealing with these complex and difficult cases. It is shown that whilst evidence of an offence was highly correlated with decisions regarding arrest and prosecution, evidence did not determine police action nor did its absence preclude such action. Rather, evidence facilitated police action where the working rules pointed towards an arrest. One of the strongest working rules related to the willingness of the victim to support a prosecution or not. The majority of victims did not want their partners or ex-partners to be prosecuted even when they had requested that the police arrest the perpetrators. Police and prosecutors believe the criminal justice system to be an extremely clumsy tool in dealing with domestic disputes. They therefore did not pursue independent evidence when victims withdrew their statements and they consequently discontinued these cases or did not initiate prosecution in the first place. Previous research has started from the premise that withdrawal of complaints by victims and the discontinuance of cases represents some kind of failure on the part of the agencies involved and that this would be remedied if the police arrested and prosecuted wherever possible. Implicit in this approach is the assumption that the criminal justice system as it presently operates is capable of responding effectively to the needs of victims of domestic violence. This thesis throws some doubt on the validity of these assumptions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 457-497). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-93). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-172).