The Police and Social Service Response to Family Violence

This chapter describes the response of police and social service agencies to family violence. Especially with mandatory reporting laws for child abuse and sometimes elder abuse, social service agencies, like child protective services or adult protective services, may be the first formal source of investigation and response. Similarly, the police are the first stage of processing in the criminal justice system. The chapter traces the evolution of police response to family violence over time, as well as the characteristics of incidents, victims, and perpetrators that contribute to police decision-making (e.g., whether to make an arrest). Additional sections address the investigation process and how the life-course perspective informs the ways in which police and social service agencies respond to different forms of family violence.