Date of Conferral

8-19-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

John Walker

Abstract

The frequency of officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV) is a serious problem in the law enforcement profession. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to determine what measures and specific domestic violence policies are working well and what is working poorly in Florida. This study is critical because it can aid upcoming law enforcement administrators (LEAs) and current LEAs in improving the policies and measures they use in their agency to combat OIDV among their officers and recruits. Jacques’s organizational culture theory (OCT) provided a framework for this study. I used purposeful snowball sampling methods to recruit participants for this study. Six law enforcement administrators were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, face to face, and or by phone. All participants were asked a sequence of 21 questions. Participants’ data were manually coded, and thematic analysis was used to make the research meaningful. As indicated by the research, Florida has a zero tolerance stance for OIDV. All participants knew that their agency had policies in place; however, they could not effectively articulate their policies but could explain the measures in response to OIDV. The most effective measures used by LEAs were mental health wellness initiatives, employee assistance programs (EAPs), administrative investigations, internal investigations, continuous training, and preventive education. Many LEAs felt that their agency measures to combat OIDV worked well, and no changes were needed. LEAs’ failure to effectively articulate their policies creates a possibility for social change. When LEAs are knowledgeable of their policies and how to respond to them, this helps them to make informed decisions, which leads to a positive social change.

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