Research ProposalProblem or GoalThe Boston Police Department has begun enforcing new laws requiring an officer to make an arrest when responding to cases of domestic violence. This is a tough new law that is being enforced. Previously, it was not necessary to make an arrest for such an incident. The officer had to ensure that the parties were safe and could judge what action to take next. Now, it is mandatory by law to make an arrest if they respond to any case of domestic violence. It is important to study whether the entry into force of this new law has led to a change in the behavior of people in intimate relationships regarding domestic violence. Hypothesis The hypothesis for this research will be: 'Have the new stricter policies on domestic violence between intimate partners led to a decrease in repeat offenders?' This research is very important in determining what measures should be taken to act as a deterrent against this crime. There are many approaches to dealing with crime.There are preventive methods that try to prevent a crime from occurring. There is also a punitive method of preventing crime which works by making the penalty very high for committing a crime to violators of repeat it. This research seeks to establish whether making punishment more harsh will work in the case of repeat offenders and future offenders. This research is linked to a broader theory that harsh punishments act as a deterrent to crime crime for fear of punishment that will follow. This research is applicable to many aspects of rampant crime. It will help identify whether adopting tougher laws and enforcing them helps reduce the ratio... middle of paper... policies must be able to effectively address crime. The findings of this study can be used to formulate policies in the state and other states. The study plays an important role in understanding the nature of domestic violence and how enforcing stricter laws against it will affect its prevalence in the community. Works Cited Clarke, Ronald Situational Crime Prevention. New York: Sage, 2005. Print Kennedy, Bernice R. Domestic Violence: Aka Intimate Partner Violence (ipv). New York: iUniverse, 2013. Print.Shipway, Lyn. Domestic violence: a manual for health professionals. London: Routledge, 2004. Print. United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (2006) “Criminal Victimization, 2005,” September 2006. United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (2006) “Intimate Partner Violence in the United States,” December 2006.