Police: Female Domestic Violence Aggressors on the Rise

If a domestic assault is reported in Michigan, someone is going to jail.

Statistics show that most of the time, the male in the home is arrested. Since January, Utica police have arrested 12 men during domestic violence incidents.

However, Police Chief Dave Faber told Patch he has noticed an upward trend in female aggressors in domestic violence cases.

"The majority remains male, but female arrests are becoming more prevalent," Faber told Patch.

In 2010, out of 26 domestic violence incidents, two female suspects were arrested; in 2011, out of 31 instances, nine female suspects were arrested and so far, in 2012, out of 20 incidents, eight female aggressors were arrested.

Faber told Patch he's not sure why there has been an increase in female aggressors, but one thing that most all domestic violence calls have in common is the presence of alcohol. 

If police are called to a domestic violence situation and believe an assault has occurred, the person police believe to be the aggressor is arrested and removed from the situation - even if the charge is a misdemeanor.

Turning Point CEO Sue Coats told Patch that men remain the primary aggressor in domestic violence situations, and even if a woman is categorized as the aggressor by police, it doesn't mean she is not the victim of domestic violence. 

"I don’t think that stats tell the whole story," said Coats.  "The women may have used force to defend herself, but to really understand domestic violence, you have to look at the history and context of the relationship."

Domestic violence continues to be the leading cause of injury to women – more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. To learn more about Macomb County domestic violence statistics, click here.