New England Journal of Public Policy

Article Title

Domestic Violence at the Top of New England: Law Enforcement Incident Reports from Aroostook County, Maine

Authors

Carolyn Ball, University of Maine - Main
Kenneth Nichols, University of Maine - Main

Abstract

Although domestic violence is an issue regularly discussed in magazines, newspapers, and elsewhere, many law enforcement agencies including many in New England do not have the capacity to track these incidents and the relationship between the victim and the offender. Through an analysis of law enforcement data from Maine’s Aroostook County, in 1997 and 1998, this article analyzes the problem of domestic violence in rural, northern Maine from a law enforcement perspective. Among the findings are the following: the reported severity of physical injury is low, the victim’s contact with the police is unlikely to be the first incident of domestic violence, the number of male victims of domestic abuse is higher than in selfreported data, and intoxication (alcohol/drugs) on the part of one or both parties stands higher than intoxication in the general population. After data analysis, training and policy implications are then discussed.

Recommended Citation

Ball, Carolyn and Nichols, Kenneth (2002) "Domestic Violence at the Top of New England: Law Enforcement Incident Reports from Aroostook County, Maine," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 17: Iss. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol17/iss2/5