The Impact of Socioeconomic Status in the Decision of Domestic Violence Victims to Call the Police
Author: Megan Miller.
Source: Volume 08, Number 02, Fall 2015 , pp.107-109(3)
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Abstract:
As most of the readers of this journal are aware, an alarming number of incidences of domestic violence go unreported. The reasons for not reporting abuse range vary across the socio-economic spectrum. Sociologists Jeffrey Ackerman and Tony P. Love examined the interaction between socio-economic status and abuse reporting in their recent article “Ethnic Group Differences in Police Notifi cation About Intimate Partner Violence.” Megan Miller gives an abridged recounting of their fi ndings here. It alarmingly shows that nearly 50% of the cases in the study went unreported to authorities. However, of the cases that were reported, those involving people of lower socio-economic status had a higher rate of reporting to authorities. While further research into this phenomena is needed, the research itself paints a vivid picture of the secretive nature of domestic abuse.Keywords: help-seeking behavior; Police Notifi cation; educational level; income; occupational prestige
Affiliations:
1: student, Hastings College of the Law.