John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP
Domestic Violence Study
Domestic Violence and the Police: Studies in Detroit and Kansas City,
Breedlove, R.K., Sandker, D.M., Kennish, J.W., and Sawtell, R.K.,
1977, Washington, D.C., Police Foundation. HV8148.D452.D65
"The Kansas City domestic violence study continues to maintain the position of one of the best and most frequently quoted works on the subject."
Mr. Hubert Williams, President
The Police Foundation
1201 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
2000
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City ranks this study as number 1 of 113 such major studies undertaken on the subject of police response to spouse abuse.
Excerpts from the study text ...
Violence occurs disproportionately in intimate settings ...
Most people are aware, and this study confirms, that the great majority of assaults and homicides occur among friends,
relatives, and acquaintances. Although this fact is perhaps reassuring to those persons who believe that they have
only peaceable associates, it adds to the general sense of helplessness. It is easy to feel helpless when thinking
about assaults and homicides.
Approximately two-thirds of all murders were committed by relatives, friends, or acquaintances of the victims;
about a quarter were committed by family members; more than half of these family killings involved spouse killing
spouse.
... they refer, not simply to statistics, but to countless human tragedies.
The Kansas City project was undertaken to question the long standing axiom that homicides and assaults are not
preventable ...
Most homicides and aggravated assaults spring from relatively trivial motivations ...
Motives are closely bound up in the relationship between the offender and victim.
Analysis of the Kansas City data showed that violence frequently was preceded by threats.
Threats should not be taken lightly; they frequently are a prelude to violent action.
If a threat was made, the study found that physical force was then used in half the cases: when physical force
was used, threats had been made in about 80 percent of the time.
... the most frequently cited reason for attacks was touching or threatening ...
The researchers further found that the most important variable governing whether a threat was made was a third
party as the source of the disturbance.
Men are by far the more frequent offenders and victims of homicides and aggravated assaults.
One of the most striking patterns found in homicides and aggravated assaults is the prevalence of violence and
conflict in the histories of both offenders and victims.
A total of 87.4 percent of assault victims expressed the view that if conflicts occurred in the future, serious
injury or death might result.
More than for other crimes, the victim of homicide or aggravated assault often provokes the attack that ends in
his injury or death.
It appears that in many cases the victims misjudged their own ability to arouse hostility in others.
Approximately a quarter of all homicides result from strong provocation by the victim.
Although other weapons are involved in homicide, firearms are not only the most deadly instrument of attack but
also, the most versatile. Firearms make some attacks possible that simply would not occur without firearms. They
permit attacks at great range and from positions of better concealment than other weapons. They also permit attacks
by persons physically or psychologically unable to overpower their victims through violent physical contact. Firearms
were used to commit murders in 66 percent of the cases ...
An important element in devising methods of dealing with disputes is to identify which situations have a high potential
for violence.
Copies of a 146-page summation of the study may be obtained
from the Ford Foundation for $ 10.00 each.
212.573.5000 - New York City Headquarters
http://www.fordfound.org
office-communications@fordfound.org - E-mail
John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP