Arrest rates for intimate partner violence have increased dramatically since the implementation of preferred and mandatory arrest policies. Of concern has been the increase in the percentage of cases in which both parties in an incident have been arrested. This article examines the current research on dual arrests and the deficiencies of that research, argues that dual arrest should not be examined in a vacuum but should be placed in a broader context taking into account both the full range of police options and comparisons of police action in intimate partner violence cases to the responses to other domestic and nondomestic incidents, and outlines an agenda for future research.
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