Aponte, Rebecca A., authorChavez, Ernest, advisorBloom, Larry, committee memberSouza, Caridad, committee member2015-08-282015-08-282015http://hdl.handle.net/10217/167189Intimate partner violence is an important social issue. There is evidence that these cases are handled differently within the legal system as a function of the gender of the abusing partner, and the sexuality of the couple. Previous studies have examined these and other factors affecting arrest decisions made by police officers, but have not focused on instances of mutual violence. A study was conducted utilizing vignettes that depicted mutual violence. Factors affecting likelihood of arrest for each partner were examined, including the gender of the perpetrator and victim, the sexuality of the depicted couple, and participant variables. Participants were a convenience sample of 440 men and women who found the study on Amazon mTurk. Results indicated a significant effect for the gender of the perpetrator, the gender of the victim, and the sexuality of the couple across most vignettes.born digitalmasters thesesengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.domestic violencepolicearrestsexualityintimate partner violenceText