Factors Affecting Police Officers' Attitudes Toward the Severity of Dating Violence in South Korea

Abstract

Despite numerous efforts made to prevent dating violence in South Korea, attitudes toward dating violence severity remain a crucial issue among police officers. Although the National Police Agency has strived to make police practices more victim-centered and increase the ratio of women to men police officers, existing research has barely examined the factors that affect police officers' attitudes toward dating violence (DV) severity. A national survey of 220 police officers between July 8 and July 21, 2020, found that while gender and the police work unit significantly affected the attitudes toward the severity of DV, no significant impact was observed in the education level, police tenure, or the number of training experiences. Finally, the study discussed its limitations and proposed directions for future research.