The Battered Wife’s Perception of the Characteristics of Her Encounter with the Police

Abstract

According to the research literature, the relationship between battered women and the police tends to be unsatisfactory and frustrating, characterized by a mutual lack of understanding. The aim of the present study is to consider how women who seek police help in the wake of violent attacks by their husbands perceive the attitude of the policemen during their encounter at the police station. The findings indicate that most of the women lodged a complaint out of feelings of fear and humiliation, expecting to receive some manner of support and protection. However, they perceived that the police did not understand their situation, tended to be suspicious of their motives, and believed them to be seeking revenge or trying to exact some sort of profit.

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