Files and links (1)
Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
From myth to reality: Exploring assaults on police during domestic violence call outs
The Police Journal, Vol.Advanced access
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
This study aims to determine whether responding to domestic violence (DV) callouts poses an increased risk of assaults on police officers compared to other types of incidents. A quantitative analysis was conducted using official court findings and coroners' reports from all Australian states and territories, spanning 13 years (January 1, 2010, to De-cember 31, 2023). Using chi-square analyses, the study examined 170 convicted cases of assaults on police officers. The analysis revealed no significant differences between DV and non-DV situations regarding offender substance use, employment status, or criminal history. However, DV incidents were significantly more likely to be initiated by the public and to be active upon police arrival compared to non-DV incidents. These findings suggest that DV callouts involve more volatile environments, potentially increasing the risk of assaults on responding officers. The findings indicate that situational factors—specifically public initiation and active incident status—rather than offender characteristics, may elevate the risk of assaults on police officers during DV responses. Law enforcement agencies should focus on these situational dynamics when developing training programs, risk assessment protocols, and policies. Emphasizing de-escalation techniques and effective communication strategies can enhance officer safety and improve responses to DV incidents.
Details
- Title
- From myth to reality: Exploring assaults on police during domestic violence call outs
- Authors
- Catherine Creamer (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyKelly Hine - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyDimitra Lattas - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention UnitKelley Burton - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention UnitKatie Davenport-Klunder - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
- Publication details
- The Police Journal, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Sage Publications Ltd.
- DOI
- 10.1177/0032258X251363818
- ISSN
- 1740-5599; 0032-258X
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
- Data Availability
- Data is available.
- Grant note
- University of the Sunshine Coast.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991145939502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
27 Record Views