the freakanomics of battered spouces
Who's read Freakanomics? Its all about how economics is simply the study of people responding to incentives and is thus all around us. This article in todays NYTs sounds like a chapter out of it:
The Protection Battered Spouses Don’t Need
In the 80s, research proved that arrests were the best protection for battered spouses, so many states including DC put mandatory arrest laws in place, which means that an arrest must be made for every domestic abuse claim. However, the author shows that murder of intimate partners goes up an average of 50% (compared with states without the law) in states that have a mandatory arrest law. Murder of non-intimate family members goes down, though. The author speculates that this is because third parties are quick to report cases of child abuse, but I would also bet that spouses are much more likely to stand up for their children then themselves. He says that women are less likely to contact the police when they know that their partner will be arrested, might get out quickly and be bitter, or simply not have that second income that they need to support themselves and their children. Not mentioned by the author, I wonder if an abuser is more likely to murder someone, rather than just beat them up, to prevent them from reporting it. Incentives incentives.
Very interesting article.
The Protection Battered Spouses Don’t Need
In the 80s, research proved that arrests were the best protection for battered spouses, so many states including DC put mandatory arrest laws in place, which means that an arrest must be made for every domestic abuse claim. However, the author shows that murder of intimate partners goes up an average of 50% (compared with states without the law) in states that have a mandatory arrest law. Murder of non-intimate family members goes down, though. The author speculates that this is because third parties are quick to report cases of child abuse, but I would also bet that spouses are much more likely to stand up for their children then themselves. He says that women are less likely to contact the police when they know that their partner will be arrested, might get out quickly and be bitter, or simply not have that second income that they need to support themselves and their children. Not mentioned by the author, I wonder if an abuser is more likely to murder someone, rather than just beat them up, to prevent them from reporting it. Incentives incentives.
Very interesting article.