When Suspects Resist Arrest: Prevalence, Correlates, and Implications for Front-Line Policing

Police use of force is one of the most critical issues in policing with research consistently finding that the best predictor of force is suspect resistance. Yet, resistance itself is relatively rarely researched. This study drew from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australian (DUMA) program – Australia’s longest running cross-sectional survey of offenders. Data was analyzed using multivariate and multi-level logistic regression to identify factors that predict suspect resistance in terms of whether the suspect was charged with resisting arrest or not. Results showed that while suspect resistance was relatively rare, it was more common under specific situations. Factors relating to offender demographics, crime, temporal/situational, and policing district all contributed to whether suspects were charged with resisting arrest. Moreover, the results showed that the policing region was the strongest predictor of whether a detainee was charged with suspect resistance. These findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of police-citizen encounters.