Domestic Violence

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, landmark legislation that serves as a national model for domestic violence law, defines domestic violence as an act of abuse, neglect or exploitation committed against a person by another person or persons related to the victim through a family or household member relationship, which includes current and former intimate partner relations. The author questions the requirement for every domestic violence case that every victim of every such case receives mandatory medical and psychiatric support because there is little evidence to support the theory that everyone would benefit from these services. The paper relates that, from a civil standpoint, if plaintiffs (victims of battery) can establish that intentional harmful or offensive contact occurred, the victim may recover nominal damages in a court of law even if she suffered no real physical injury.

From the Paper:

"Illinois state law has required local law enforcement agencies to report all domestic offenses to the Illinois State Police (ISP) since April of 1996. Police agencies are required to report all offenses of abuse, neglect, or exploitation occurring between family or household members. Further, in order to sustain a level of refuge for alleged victims of battery, ISP maintains a database of orders of protection issued by Illinois courts, as required by the Domestic Violence Act. This law specifies that orders of protection must be entered into LEADS (Law Enforcement Agencies Data System) by county sheriff's departments on the very day they are issued. This information is then available to police officers responding to domestic violence situations. While this practice is mandated by law, compliance with the act has not fully been tested."

More papers on Domestic Violence:

• Term Paper # 149334 : "Domestic Violence - A Literature Review"
• Research Paper # 92713 : "Mandatory Arrest for Domestic Violence Offences"
• Essay # 72935 : "Domestic Violence on Wives in India"
• Research Paper # 141736 : "Domestic Violence"

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