Domestic violence: A profile of the abuser in Pima County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of the domestic violence abuser in Pima County during the year 1990. The population for this study consisted of 160 abusers who had been arrested for domestic violence and referred to the Pima County Attorney's Domestic Violence Diversion Program. The profile information was gathered from law enforcement reports, assessment forms, and domestic violence questionnaires. Also presented are conclusions, discussions, and implications. The profile areas of this study include the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, the length of the relationship between the victim and the abuser, the number of children living in the home, the perpetrator's level of education, the ethnicity of the abuser, the age of the abuser, the employment status of the perpetrator, the income level of the perpetrator, the number of prior arrests and convictions, the abuser's alcohol and drug using behaviors, prior domestic violence events and frequency, the likelihood of repeated domestic violence, the abuser's support system, prior counseling experience, and present counseling received.