RT Article
T1 ‘Hey Buddy, Give Me Your Guns:’ Sheriffs’ Officers’ Strategies to Ensure Compliance with Domestic Violence Protective Order Firearm Restrictions
JF Journal of family violence
VO 38
IS 3
SP 557
OP 569
A1 Blackwatters, Casey R.
A2 Kafka, Julie M.
A2 (Beth) E. Moracco, Kathryn
A2 Williams, Deanna S.
A2 Corbo, Allyson M.
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1839174013
AB PurposeOne-third of all women in the United States have experienced intimate partner violence, and when an abuser has access to a gun, the risk of intimate partner homicide increases fivefold. The inclusion of firearm restrictions in domestic violence protective orders (DVPOs) can reduce homicide risk; however, little is known about the implementation of these restrictions. Our study explores the processes Sheriff’s officers use when serving emergency (ex parte) DVPOs with firearm restrictions.MethodWe conducted phone interviews (n = 20) with representatives from Sheriff’s offices (n=20) across North Carolina, and conducted a content analysis of the interviews, utilizing deductive and inductive codes to analyze themes.ResultsMost officers described proactively explaining ex parte orders to the defendant (alleged abuser), relating to defendants as allies in a friendly manner during service, and clearly stating the consequences of an ex parte order violation. Officers described various motivations for employing these techniques, the most common being to protect defendants from criminal charges by ensuring their comprehension of and compliance with firearm restrictions. A minority of Officers described intentionally avoiding further explanation of ex parte orders during service.ConclusionOfficers use different informal communication tactics to implement DVPO firearm restrictions. Some of these strategies have a behavioral science evidence base and could be shared across agencies. Some of these strategies, however, may have unintentional negative consequences, such as reinforcing harmful stereotypes about plaintiffs’ motivations for seeking DVPOs. Further research is needed to explore the formal and informal approaches that Sheriff’s Officers use to implement DVPO firearm restrictions, and the respective impact of these strategies.
K1 Law Enforcement
K1 Firearm restrictions
K1 domestic violence
K1 Firearms
K1 Intimate Partner Violence
DO 10.1007/s10896-022-00411-8