Family violence is a crime that unfortunately affects many families, partners and households across the country. Domestic violence can range from arguments to physical altercations and sometimes death. Although the name implies that only family members can perpetrate this type of violence, boyfriends/girlfriends can commit it, as can a roommate. To better understand domestic violence, criminal justice agencies and officials must understand the roles that both parties play. Additionally, criminal justice personnel must understand the different types of violence involved, as well as the victimization it can cause, not only from the offender, but also from the criminal justice system itself. By adopting a better understanding of domestic violence offenses as a whole, as well as understanding the different mindsets of victims and offenders, law enforcement officials and criminal justice personnel will be able to protect those who are victims and provide assistance. to those who are perpetrators of domestic violence. keywords: domestic violence, victimization, Domestic Violence: A Problem Explained in More Detail Throughout history, the criminal justice system has formed various different opinions regarding domestic violence. These range from protecting women, to believing that they are strong enough to take care of themselves, and finally back to protecting victims of domestic violence. These ideologies help express various differences in public opinion towards domestic violence and determine the extent to which blame should be placed on the victims themselves. Through proper research in this area, many criminal justice agencies and legislators can develop and implement various policies and laws aimed at not only protecting victims, but also reducing levels of re-victimization, as well as providing education, sanctions, adequate sanctions. and advice for those who are the perpetrators of this horrific crime.Description/Explanation of Topic/ProblemThe question many ask victims of domestic violence is why they stay in abusive relationships (Nitu, 2012). Leaving an abusive relationship is, most of the time, easier said than done. As Nitu (2012) points out, many women in abusive relationships have a real fear of experiencing further violence if they leave, attempt to leave, or seek help to cope with an abusive relationship. These fears transcend their fears for their own personal safety and develop into fears of child abuse, if any. As a society, we have the right to ask this question. In 2003, domestic violence cost the United States more than $8 billion, of which more than $1 billion was spent on deaths due to domestic violence situations (Nitu, 2012). Additionally, the risk to children in abusive relationships also increases. Not only will the chances of children being abused increase, but the likelihood that they will engage in abusive relationships themselves will also increase. When children are involved in domestic violence situations, implementing intervention programs will teach them about the consequences of domestic violence. The goal of any criminal justice society should be to help abused people end abusive relationships. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of the safety of any child involved, life is better outside of the abusive relationship and the victimdoes not need to feel dependent on her abuser. Through Artz's (2011) research, it was found that the rate of reduction in domestic violence cases in court when it came to protection orders, less than half of women followed up with the courts to obtain final orders; why is this? Current laws allow women to apply for a protection order, which helps prevent further acts of violence against the victim by the offender. This process generally occurs in two stages: the victim requests a protection order, which the magistrate will generally approve if there is sufficient prima facie evidence of violence occurring in the home and ultimately obtain a final protection order from the court (Artz, 2011). Artz (2011) states that one of the dilemmas faced by victims who file domestic violence complaints with the police and courts is the threat of further violence, which can be much worse than the initial incident. This may also be true for simply enforcing a protection order. When a victim requests a protection order, a “boomerang effect” develops; that is, the offender escalates his threats and violence toward the victim so that the victim drops the order and additional charges (Artz, 2011, p. 6). In the most serious cases, victims and their families find themselves threatened with death if they do not drop the charges. Some studies have shown a positive correlation between violent threats towards victims and their decision not to file a complaint or any other mediation (Artz, 2011). In other words, the offender's threats of violence toward the victim were a reason the victim was not cooperating. Artz (2011) further notes that studies in the 1990s showed that women may not complete the process due to the criminal justice process itself. The process takes a long time, and with multiple court dates, taking time off work and finding adequate child care can create problems (Artz, 2011, p. 8). These studies also revealed the problems that can arise in serving protection orders, a misunderstanding of the criminal justice system itself and, again, the fear of the offender, which is a determining factor in the willingness to the victim to cooperate with other courts. procedure. Artz (2011) further states that victims' lack of cooperation in the process can make problems worse, as the cycle of domestic violence worsens over time. As noted above, if a victim seeks mediation, either from the police or the courts, the violence can become deadly (Artz, 2011). This is true not only for the victim, but also for the family and children involved. For this reason, women use reasoning to make the decision whether or not to proceed with the criminal justice process, which, given the issues mentioned above, can be considered unreliable (Artz, 2011). violence is the victim's perception of the police and the opinions they form (Stewart, Langan, & Hannem, 2013). Stewart et al. (2013) state that studies show that the victim may base their decision to pursue prosecution based solely on their interaction with the initial investigators. If the interaction is not positive, the victim may decide not to pursue charges. However, if the interaction is positive, the victim can follow through by obtaining protection orders, filing lawsuits, and in some cases, placing a, 55(4), 359-368.