How to Police Intimate Partner Violence Against Women? New Lessons from Women’s Police Stations in Brazil

This study investigates how geographic access to specialized Women’s Police Station (WPS) relates to whether episodes of violence against women are classified as intimate partner violence (IPV) in Brazil’s health system records. Using national administrative notifications (2010–2019) geocoded to health facilities and linked to WPS locations, we analyze 227,172 women aged 18– 59 who identified a male perpetrator. Logistic regressions assess IPV correlates, with results presented as descriptive associations. Three sets of findings stand out. First, and most importantly, distance from a WPS and IPV are related and the association between distance to the nearest WPS and IPV classification varies by region: in the South and Midwest, the odds of IPV classification decline with distance, while in parts of the North and Northeast they rise with distance. Our uncovering that national averages conceal substantial geographic variation in access and reporting is a novel finding that has policy-relevant implications. Second, situational markers strongly predict IPV classification: episodes at the victim's residence, recurrent cases, and incidents involving an intoxicated perpetrator are much more likely to be classified as IPV, whereas weekday and daylight reports show lower odds. Third, violence concentrates among younger, Black, and less-educated women, while state capital cases are less likely classified as IPV, reflecting different urban service pathways. These findings indicate that specialized policing infrastructure correlates with health reporting patterns in complex ways. Aligning health services with policing infrastructure, particularly addressing alcohol-related cases and regional coverage gaps, may contribute to reducing violence against women.