94 -f Police and Law Enforcement—Family Fstates, with strict enforcement, in order to ensure complete protection regardless of
geographical location.
Bail reform based on allowing the release of domestic offenders, only after a
clarification hearing focusing on the offenders level of dangerousness, is also a
possibility for policy reform. Changes in firearm possession restrictions for those
who are deemed dangerous, as stated by the plaintiff, is another enhanced legislative
procedure that would allow for further safety of abuse victims (Defina & Wetherbee,
1907).
Prevention should be the ultimate goal of any potentially violent situation. In
1991, the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council and the Farmingham
Police Department combined with local educators and victim advocacy groups to
establish a program which attempted to lower domestic violence rates. This pro-
gram targeted students in the 7th and 8th grades and educated them in the skills
necessary to help them avoid destructive behaviors. The program was incorporated
into local schools as part of a health class. Ideally, a female officer and a male teacher
would inform the students, based on their own extensive training from experts in
domestic violence, of the dangers, consequences, and avoidance methods of violent
home situations. The initiation of this program, while too new to objectively eval-
uate, showed remarkable positive results as measured by students' attitudes toward
violence in current or future relationships and other related measures of partner
relations and violence (W D. Baker, 1995).
As mentioned, the establishment of more informed and rigorous training pro-
grams for police officers is seen as the most important step in controlling or mediat-
ing domestic dispute situations. This, coupled with the implementation of available
legal and social resources, is the method of choice for the Albuquerque Police De-
partment. Legal and social resource availability such as domestic violence shelters,
medical care, counseling, and even escorted transportation and assistance in the re-
moval of items from the victim's residence, have shown to be powerful in developing
immunity from civil liability as well as being a comforting force to the victims of
domestic violence (Baca, 1987).Suggestions for Future ResearchThere are a number of areas ripe for research in the field of domestic violence
mediation. Research is needed that examines public support for different interven-
tions in the criminal justice system. Victim counseling efficacy and financial/legal
service usefulness has yet to be examined. Public perception and support for plea
bargaining of offenders is under-researched, as are victims' views of the criminal
justice system related to domestic violence (Stalans, 1996).
Other research could examine the effects of chronic spousal abuse on victims'
psychological symptom development and their refusal to prosecute offenders. Also.