Differential Police Treatment of Male-on-Female Spousal Violence: Additional Evidence on the Leniency Thesis

The assumption that police are relatively lenient with men who assault their spouses has led several U.S. political jurisdictions to enact mandatory arrest-for-wife-assault legislation. Although the leniency thesis underlying this legislation is widely believed, it is directly addressed by only three studies of varying rigor and generalizability. With new data, the present research uses multivariate techniques to reexamine the hypothesis that police are less aggressive in arresting wife assaulters, with results that support the leniency thesis. In addition, results suggest that police are more likely to arrest if the victim of spousal violence is a woman who is affluent, White, older, or suburban. The implications of these findings for mandatory arrest laws, crime control, and the debate on race and crime are discussed.