Kathryn BournFrom Kathryn BournPatrolBattles on the HomefrontTwenty years ago, typical domestic violence calls were brushed off as trivial disputes to be settled behind closed doors. Police would either admonish the couple to stop fighting or try to mediate their dispute. By the late 1980s, however, states began to treat domestic violence as a crime rather than a private affair.February 29, 1996Page 1 of 1