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This Article analyzes data from the Colorado Springs Spouse Abuse Experiment.In that experiment, suspects apprehended for misdemeanor sFouse abuse were assigned at random to one of four treatments: (1) an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with arrest of the suspect; (2) an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with immediate crisis counseling for the suspect; (3) an emergency order of protection only; or (4) restoring order at the scene with no emergency order of protection.Outcome measures are taken from official police data and from follow-up interviews with victims.Using Bayesian procedures to take previous experiments into account, the balance of evidence supports a deterrent effect for arrest among "good risk" offenders, who presumably have a lot to lose by being arrested.The balance of evidence is far more equivocal for a "labeling effect" in which an arrest increases the likelihood of new violence.
Berk et al. (Wed,) studied this question.