Domestic violence against women and the role of police in terms of responses to violent abusers

This article uses data from qualitative research which carried out to understand the lived experience of women toward domestic violence as well as the causes of violence. It has been also the intension of the article to look at the viewpoint of women toward the role of criminal justice system, law and police in term of response to violent abusers. Data presented in this article is collected through in depth semi structured interview with 50 married women in Tehran aged 18 to 63. Since the size of sample is small it is not possible to make any statistical analysis and generalization.Finding suggests that domestic violence occurs in unequal context of power relations. Although women view domestic violence as terrible and quiet harmful but considered that as private and personal issue. Women are not interested to press charges against their violent husbands because they think it is useless since men are in control of law enforcement. However women have come to believe that domestic violence is avoidable if some changes are made in laws and cultural system which in their view are dominated by male interest. Nevertheless the domestic violence is not pursuable unless the women decide to take an action and press charges against perpetrators. Besides, the justice system should play vitally important role in wider efforts to seek an effective response to violent abuser to reduce harm and protect women against domestic violence.