Why Battered Women Stay: Women's Experiences with the Criminal Justice System in Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia

Abstract

Past research has revealed that women are more likely to be raped, physically assaulted, or murdered by their intimate partners than by strangers. Battered women who attempt to prosecute their abusers often find that the criminal justice system considers domestic violence a low priority. As a result, most abusers are not likely to be arrested or prosecuted. In this study the author will examine women's experiences with the criminal justice system in Augusta, Georgia. The primary goal of the study is to come to a better understanding of the role the criminal justice system may play in women's decision to remain in abusive relationships. The issues to be examined in this study will include battered women's perception of the following:

the attitudes of police officers responding to domestic violence calls, and 2) the criminal justice system's response to women's requests for restraining orders.