Abuse of Power
THE clearinghouse on police-perpetrated domestic violence
Resources
Abuse of Power Publications
Police Domestic Violence Handbook for Victims: As the victim of a police officer, your situation is very different than that of other victims of domestic violence. If you have ever tried to get help, you may have become discouraged because no one seemed to understand your plight. You are not alone. Thousands of women who are also in your situation have shared their experience and helped us write this book. We are committed to sharing this information with other police victims and advocates. (32 pgs; Available for purchase.)
Crossing the Threshold: Female Officers and Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: Examines how male police officers' institutional power filters down into their intimate relationships, and why the institution of policing has historically ignored or denied police-perpetrated violence against women. A brief look at the profession's historical treatment of women and minorities provides the background for this analysis of police-perpetrated domestic violence. While focusing on female officers' experience of abuse at the hands of male officers and the institutional response to that abuse, the book is insightful and relevant reading for civilian victims, advocates, attorneys, police supervisors, administrators, chiefs and sheriffs. (156 pgs, includes 93 bibliographic references; Available for purchase.)
Abusive Police Officers: Working the System: No one knows how many police officers abuse their wives or intimate partners. The International Association of Chiefs of Police states that officer-involved domestic violence “is estimated to be at least as common as that of the general population.” Officers who batter typically use tactics of control they acquired through their professional training and experience. Their professional credibility and authority uniquely position abusive officers to explain, defend and summon institutional support and assistance from the very systems victims turn to for protection. (23 pgs, includes 48 bibliographic references; Available for purchase.)
Advocate & Officer Dialogues: Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: Two essays, Developing Policy on Officer-Involved Domestic Violence and The Misuse of Police Powers in Officer-Involved Domestic Violence, explore how the tremendous power and authority granted to officers to protect the public can lead to the abuse of their power. Wetendorf and Davis found that solutions good from the department’s perspective can make things worse for the victim; and solutions better for the victim can leave the department open to liability. Their goal is to generate thoughtful consideration among victim advocates and police administrators on the complexities involved in developing policies and providing effective and consistent victim response. (32 pgs; Available for purchase.)
Abuse of Power On-line Resources
Police Power and Control Wheel: The tactics of power and control used by abusers in law enforcement presented in the familiar Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project power & control wheel format.
Recommended reading: Books which we find to be of particular interest.
Links: Organizations and resources cited throughout our Website.
Articles & Book Excerpts
Material written by Diane Wetendorf, Kimberly Lonsway, Lundy Bancroft, and others. Please remember that all material on this Website is protected by copyright. If you wish to reproduce the material for any purpose other than your personal reading, please contact us. Please note that some material is available only in PDF format.
Female Officers as Victims of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: (Diane Wetendorf) Examines how the expectations and values of the female officer's profession and workplace culture influence her behavior and decisions regarding her abusive relationship. (PDF format available at no charge through the Battered Women's Justice Project.)
The Impact of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: (Diane Wetendorf) Examines the dynamics of police-perpetrated domestic violence and how it impacts the victim, the department and the community. (Published in Domestic Violence by Police Officers. Donald C. Sheehan (ed.) pp 375-382. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2000.)
Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: (Diane Wetendorf) Rather than customizing services for victims of police abusers, we need to expect that the departments have the integrity to hold their own police family members accountable for criminal behavior. (Presentation at the National Center for Women and Policing 1998 Annual Conference)
Effective Lawyering for Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence Victims: (Diane Wetendorf) Explores some of the extraordinary challenges of representing a woman in a divorce or custody case whose batterer is a police officer. ("Representing Victims of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence" published in Family Law Forum. MN State Bar Association Family Law Section, Fall 2007, 16 (2) 14-23.)
When
the Batterer Is a Law Enforcement Officer: A Guide for Advocates: (Diane
Wetendorf) A comprehensive resource for advocates working with
women whose batterers are in law enforcement. It explores the reasons
why familiar remedies are often inadequate against an officer batterer’s
power and control over the victim and his influence within the criminal
justice system. It includes specific safety considerations and advocacy
strategies. (The complete Guide (96 pgs) is available
in PDF format at no charge through the Battered
Women's Justice Project.)
The
Batterer in Custody and Visitation Disputes: (Lundy
Bancroft with Jay Silverman) Partner abuse affects everyone in a family.
Children's emotional recovery is closely tied to the healing and empowerment
of their mothers. Bancroft covers the post-separation parenting behaviors
of men who batter, including their use of custody litigation as a tool
of abuse.
Lessons
Learned from Tacoma: The Problem of Police Officer Domestic Violence: (Kim
Lonsway Ph.D., Diane Wetendorf, Pete Conis Ph.D.) It often takes a tragic
wake-up call such as the murder-suicide by the Tacoma police chief to
create real change. Rather than denying the potential for such a tragedy,
police officers, supervisors and managers must take this issue seriously.
The authors review how
police agencies can proactively address officer-involved domestic abuse. (Published
in the Law Enforcement Executive Forum: 2003 (3) 5; pp.27-36.)
Policies on Police
Officer Domestic Violence: Prevalence and Specific Provisions Within
Large Police Agencies: (Kim Lonsway Ph.D.) A national
sample of large police agencies found few had a specific policy for
officer-involved domestic violence. The policies varied widely
in scope, focus, and specific provisions.
Responding
to Police Officer Domestic Violence: The IACP Model Policy: (Kim
Lonsway Ph.D. & Chief
Penny Harrington) The authors describe the 1996
legislation that dictated the response of police departments when one
of their own is convicted of a domestic violence offense. They then review
the model policy released by the International Association of Chiefs
of Police.
IACP Policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers: The
model policy on domestic violence by police officers established by theInternational
Association of Chiefs of Police.
Discussion Paper on IACP's Policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers: This
paper supports the policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers established
by the IACP. It addresses the philosophy and development of the
policy along with implementation requirements.
Available on Request
Please contact Diane Wetendorf for the following:
Annotated Safety Plan for Police Victims: The standard safety plan for victims of domestic violence or stalking is often inadequate for victims of police officers. This plan addresses their specific needs.
Safety in an Electronic World: A batterer who is a law enforcement officer can use networks, databases and related technologies to track and stalk his victim.