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Mandatory arrest for domestic violence

Adult Criminal Justice
  Literature review updated June 2022.

Mandatory arrest laws require that, given probable cause, police must make an arrest in misdemeanor domestic violence (DV) cases. The goal of these laws is to reduce DV recidivism. The studies included in this analysis compare mandatory arrest to police separating or counseling couples.
 
ALL
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
ES SE Age ES p-value
Crime
Any criminal conviction according to court records, sometimes measured through charges, arrests, incarceration, or self-report.
 26 1 214 0.061 0.107 31 0.061 0.571
Domestic violence
Arrests, charges, convictions, or incarcerations for domestic violence.
 26 6 2103 0.002 0.064 31 0.002 0.971
Domestic violence homicide
Criminal conviction of domestic violence-related homicide, according to court records.
 26 1 50 0.022 0.046 31 0.022 0.637

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Berk, R.A., Campbell, A., Klap, R., & Western, B. (1992.). A Bayesian analysis of the Colorado Springs spouse abuse experiment. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 83(1), 170-200

Chin, Y.-M., & Cunningham, S. (2019). Revisiting the effect of warrantless domestic violence arrest laws on intimate partner homicides. Journal of Public Economics, 179.

Dunford, F.W., Huizanga, D., & Elliott, D.S. (1990). The role of arrest in domestic assault: The Omaha police experiment. Criminology, 28(2), 183-206

Hirschel, J.D., & Hutchison, I.W. (1992). Female spouse abuse and the police response: The Charlotte, North Carolina experiment. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 83(1), 73-119

Pate, A.M., Hamilton, E.E., & Annan, S.O. (1991). Metro-dade spouse abuse replication project: Draft final report. Washington, D.C: Police Foundation.

Sherman, L.W., & Berk, R.A. (1984). The Minneapolis domestic violence experiment. Washington, D.C: Police Foundation.

Sherman, L.W., Schmidt, J.D., Rogan, D.P., Smith, D.A., Gartin, P.R., Cohn, E.G., . . . Bacich, A.R. (1992). Variable effects of arrest on criminal careers: the Milwaukee domestic violence experiment. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 83(1) 137-169.

Xie, M., Lauritsen, J.L., & Heimer, K. (2012). Intimate partner violence in US metropolitan areas: The contextual influences of police and social services. Criminology, 50(4), 961-992.