Seeking Help from the Police: Battered Women’s Decisions and Experiences

Using data from the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study (CWHRS), which includes a sample of battered women (n = 500; 69% African American and 21.3% Latina) and a sample of abused women who either killed or were killed by their intimate partners (n = 63; 81% African American and 10% Latina), we find that several factors affect battered women’s decisions to contact the police and their experiences with the police, including the severity and frequency of violence, other harassing behaviors committed by the abuser, the length of the relationship, and the women’s social support network.