Faculty Articles
Battered women, psychology and public policy
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
American Psychologist
ISSN
0003-066X
Publication Date
10-1984
Abstract
Reviews the role that psychologists have played in affecting changes in public policy regarding domestic violence over the past decade. Testimony by expert witnesses has rebutted myths that prevented battered women who killed their abusers from receiving fair trials. Three case vignettes are presented to illustrate how psychological knowledge has helped the judicial system to develop public policy. Because organized psychology has submitted amicus curiae briefs in this area, appellate court cases now usually support the admissibility of a psychologist's testimony as to the battered woman's perception of danger and the reasonableness of her perception of the need for self-defense. The public impact of high-visibility battered women cases is discussed.
DOI
10.1037/0003-066X.39.10.1178
Volume
39
Issue
10
First Page
1178
Last Page
1182
NSUWorks Citation
Walker, L. E.
(1984). Battered women, psychology and public policy. American Psychologist, 39(10), 1178-1182.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/927
