DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD DOMESTIC ABUSE CASES AMONG SOCIAL-SERVICE AND CRIMINAL-JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS

Addressing the diverse and interdisciplinary needs of victims and abus ers of acts of domestic violence requires efforts of collaboration on the part of both social service and justice professions. Yet informati on on the extent to which practitioners in various professions share c ommon perceptions and attitudes toward victims and perpetrators of dom estic violence is somewhat limited. This article evaluates the extent to which professionals from six social service and criminal justice ag encies share similar attitudes and perceptions relative to the definit ions of various acts of domestic violence, the best method for handlin g domestic violence, the criminalization of domestic violence, the end orsement of treatment of domestic violence, and the most helpful agenc ies in responding to cases of domestic violence.