From myth to reality: Exploring assaults on police during domestic violence call outs

Catherine Creamer; Kelly Hine; Dimitra Lattas; Kelley Burton; Katie Davenport-Klunder

doi:10.1177/0032258X251363818

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From myth to reality: Exploring assaults on police during domestic violence call outs

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

From myth to reality: Exploring assaults on police during domestic violence call outs

Catherine Creamer, Kelly Hine, Dimitra Lattas, Kelley Burton and Katie Davenport-Klunder

The Police Journal, Vol.99(3), pp.365-382

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X251363818

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Abstract

Police administration, procedures and practice

Law enforcement

Police

Law enforcement

assault

Domestic Violence

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 Society
Kelly Hine - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Dimitra Lattas - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Kelley Burton - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Katie Davenport-Klunder - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Publication details: The Police Journal, Vol.99(3), pp.365-382
Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1177/0032258X251363818
ISSN: 1740-5599
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

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