THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF ARREST IN INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - A BAYESIAN-ANALYSIS OF 4 FIELD EXPERIMENTS

We examine the deterrent effect of arrest in incidents of spouse abuse. The data are from field experiments conducted in four cities - Milwaukee, Omaha, Dade County (Florida), and Colorado Springs. On the average, arrest is no more effective than other police interventions in reducing new incidents of violence. However, arrest has differential effects on subsequent violence depending on the background of the offender. The implications of the findings for social science theory and public policy are discussed.