The Effects of Victims' Experiences with Prosecutors on Victim Empowerment and Re-occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence

Book excerpt: Female victims of domestic violence are often reluctant to prosecute their abuser. United States prosecutors have therefore adopted "no-drop", or evidence-based policies, which call for the prosecution of all cases of family violence if there is legal evidence to support such prosecution, regardless of the wishes of the victim. This study analyses the effects of various applications of the "no drop" policy on victims' feelings of personal empowerment, and the likelihood of perpetrators to reoffend.