Police In this scenario of what may be an instance of domestic violence, the officer has the option of simply talking to the couple, determining what is wrong and issuing a warning-or pressing charges against both or one of the participants for disorderly conduct. The police officer can simply use his or her presence to influence the couple's behavior or can use the actual weight of the law. The officer will have to use his or her perceptions of the relationship between the couple as well as the information the couple offers. As part of assessment, the officer should speak to both members of the couple separately to determine if one or more of the participants is at risk of suffering further physical violence. The officer should also determine if alcohol or drugs are potentially involved, which can affect the participants' judgment. It should be noted that merely because the couple indicates that everything is fine and the woman refuses to accuse the...

Quite often in domestic disputes, the woman's desire to hide the crime is one of the symptoms of being a victim of domestic abuse. "Most of the cases of domestic violence are unreported. That is, reported cases of domestic violence against women represent only a very small part of the problem when compared with prevalence data" (Gracia 2004).
Scenario 2: Judge

A judge passing sentence should take into consideration the following factors: the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant; "the need for the sentence imposed" to protect the public and prevent the defendant's recidivism; the need for future deterrence; and the need to provide the defendant with rehabilitative treatment (such as in the case of a defendant who has an addiction problem and could benefit from drug treatment) (Imposition of a sentence, 2014, Cornell University Law…