DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09481
title: Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, 1986-1987
title: Archival Version

description: The purpose of this data collection was to corroborate the
 findings of SPECIFIC DETERRENT EFFECTS OF ARREST FOR DOMESTIC ASSAULT:
 MINNEAPOLIS, 1981-1982 (ICPSR 8250) that arrest is an effective
 deterrent against continued domestic assaults. The data addressed the
 following questions: (1) To what extent does arrest decrease the
 likelihood of continued violence, as assessed by the victim? (2) To
 what extent does arrest decrease the likelihood of continued
 complaints of crime, as assessed by police records? (3) What are the
 differences in arrest recidivism between cases that involved arrest
 versus cases that involved mediation, separation, warrant issued, or
 no warrant issued? Domestic violence cases in three sectors of Omaha,
 Nebraska, meeting established eligibility criteria, were assigned to
 one of five experimental treatments: mediation, separation, arrest,
 warrant issued, or no warrant issued. Data for victim reports were
 collected from three interviews with the victims conducted one week,
 six months, and 12 months after the domestic violence incident.
 Arrest, charge, and complaint data were collected on the suspects at
 six- and twelve-month intervals following the original domestic
 violence incident. The investigators used arrest recidivism, continued
 complaints of crime, and victim reports of repeated violence (fear of
 injury, pushing/hitting, and physical injury) as outcome measures to
 assess the extent to which treatments prevented subsequent conflicts.
 Other variables include victim's level of fear, self-esteem, locus of
 control, and welfare dependency, changes in the relationship between
 suspect and victim, extent of the victim's injury, and extent of drug
 use by the victim and the suspect. Demographic variables include
race, age, sex, income, occupational status, and marital status.
description: The purpose of the study was to corroborate the
 findings of the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984) that
 arrest is an effective deterrent against continued domestic assaults.
 The study addressed the following questions: (1) To what extent does
 arrest decrease the likelihood of continued violence, as assessed by
 the victim? (2) To what extent does arrest decrease the likelihood of
 continued complaints of crime, as assessed by police records? (3) What
 are the differences in arrest recidivism between cases that involved
 arrest versus cases that involved mediation, separation, warrant
issued, or no warrant issued?
description: Cases included in the study were required to meet
 the following eligibility criteria: (1) Probable cause for an arrest
 for misdemeanor assault was established. Cases lacking probable cause
 and felony assault cases were excluded. (2) The case involved at least
 two people, a victim and a suspect. (3) Both parties to the assault
 were at least 18 years of age. (4) Both parties lived together
 sometime during the year preceding the assault. (5) If the suspect was
 present, a check of police records indicated no arrest warrant was on
 file. If officers determined that the case met the eligibility
 criteria, a treatment was randomly assigned by a computer routine
 operated by the Information Unit of the Omaha Police Department. Cases
 in which both the victim and the suspect were present when the police
 arrived were assigned a treatment of either mediation, separation, or
 arrest. Cases in which no suspects were present at the time police
 arrived were assigned treatments of warrant issued or no warrant
 issued. Interviews with victims were conducted one week, six months,
 and 12 months after the domestic violence incident. Additional data
 were collected from police officers who completed Domestic Violence
 Report forms for each case. Police record searches were conducted on
 suspects six and twelve months after the incident. Continued
 complaints of crime, arrest recidivism, and victim reports of repeated
 violence (fear of injury, pushing/hitting, and physical injury) were
 used as outcome measures to assess the extent to which the various
treatments prevented subsequent violence.
description: Data were collected regarding the nature of the
 domestic violence incident, subsequent incidents, the extent of the
 victim's injury, extent of drug use by the victim and the suspect, and
 the suspect-victim relationship. During the victim interviews
 additional data were collected regarding the victim's level of fear,
 self-esteem, locus of control, and welfare dependency, and changes in
 the relationship between suspect and victim. Demographic information
 includes age, sex, income, employment, and marital status. Arrest,
 charge, and complaint data were collected on the suspects at six- and
 twelve-month intervals following the original domestic violence
incident.
description: Response Rates: A total of 577 domestic violence cases were
 selected for inclusion in the study. The number of respondents who
 completed interviews for Waves I, II, and III are 477 (81 percent),
438 (76 percent), and 416 (72 percent), respectively.
description: Presence of Common Scales: A modified Conflict Tactic Scale was used in the study.
Hollingshead and Duncan Socioeconomic Indices are also included.
description: Two-stage random sampling design.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: One-Week Data File
DS2: Six-Month Data File
DS3: Twelve-Month Data File
DS4: Police Report Data File
DS5: Six-Month Police Record Search Data File
DS6: Twelve-Month Police Record Search Data File
DS8: SAS Data Definition Statements for One-Week Data File
DS9: SAS Data Definition Statements for Six-Month Data File
DS10: SAS Data Definition Statements for Twelve-Month Data File
DS11: SAS Data Definition Statements for Police Report Data File
DS12: SAS Data Definition Statements for Six-Month and Twelve-Month Police Record Search Data Files
DS13: SPSS Data Definition Statements for Six-Month and Twelve-Month Police Record Search Data Files
description: Domestic violence cases in Omaha, Nebraska during
1986-1987.