Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes

In the year ending March 2020, an estimated 773,000 people in England and Wales were sexually assaulted. These types of crimes have lasting effects on victims’ mental health, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a large body of literature which identifies sever...

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Main Authors: Kari Davies, Ruth Spence, Emma Cummings, Maria Cross, Miranda A. H. Horvath
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.977318/full
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author Kari Davies
Ruth Spence
Emma Cummings
Maria Cross
Miranda A. H. Horvath
author_facet Kari Davies
Ruth Spence
Emma Cummings
Maria Cross
Miranda A. H. Horvath
author_sort Kari Davies
collection DOAJ
description In the year ending March 2020, an estimated 773,000 people in England and Wales were sexually assaulted. These types of crimes have lasting effects on victims’ mental health, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a large body of literature which identifies several factors associated with the likelihood of the victim reporting a sexual assault to the police, and these differences may be due to rape myth stereotypes which perpetuate the belief that rape is only “real” under certain conditions. Less is known, however, about the effect these rape myths and stereotypes have on the investigation process itself and the subsequent police outcomes assigned to sex offences. This study aimed to address this gap, providing a profile of all RASSO (rape and serious sexual offences) committed over a 3-year period in one English police force, the police outcomes of these offences, and whether any offences, suspect, or victim variables were associated with different outcomes, in particular the decision to charge or cases where victims decline to prosecute. In line with previous research, the majority of victims were female while the majority of suspects were male, and the most frequent victim–suspect relationship was acquaintance, followed by partner/ex-partner. Charge outcomes were more likely in SSOs and less in rape offences, more likely with stranger offences and less likely than offences committed by partners/ex-partners and relatives, and some non-white suspects were more likely to be charged than suspects of other ethnicities, including white suspects. Victim attrition was more likely in cases where the suspect was a partner or ex-partner and least likely where the suspect was a stranger, more likely in SSOs than in rape cases, and more likely when the victim ethnicity was “other”. Law enforcement should be aware of the potential biases, both relating to rape myths and stereotypes and to the biased treatment of victims and suspects based on demographic characteristics, and work to eliminate these to ensure a fairer and more effective RASSO investigative process.
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spelling doaj.art-efde392b34bc4ab9ac156d102dcf17942022-12-22T02:17:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-09-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.977318977318Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomesKari Davies0Ruth Spence1Emma Cummings2Maria Cross3Miranda A. H. Horvath4Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, United KingdomCentre for Abuse and Trauma Studies, Middlesex University London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaInstitute for Social Justice & Crime, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, United KingdomInstitute for Social Justice & Crime, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, United KingdomIn the year ending March 2020, an estimated 773,000 people in England and Wales were sexually assaulted. These types of crimes have lasting effects on victims’ mental health, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a large body of literature which identifies several factors associated with the likelihood of the victim reporting a sexual assault to the police, and these differences may be due to rape myth stereotypes which perpetuate the belief that rape is only “real” under certain conditions. Less is known, however, about the effect these rape myths and stereotypes have on the investigation process itself and the subsequent police outcomes assigned to sex offences. This study aimed to address this gap, providing a profile of all RASSO (rape and serious sexual offences) committed over a 3-year period in one English police force, the police outcomes of these offences, and whether any offences, suspect, or victim variables were associated with different outcomes, in particular the decision to charge or cases where victims decline to prosecute. In line with previous research, the majority of victims were female while the majority of suspects were male, and the most frequent victim–suspect relationship was acquaintance, followed by partner/ex-partner. Charge outcomes were more likely in SSOs and less in rape offences, more likely with stranger offences and less likely than offences committed by partners/ex-partners and relatives, and some non-white suspects were more likely to be charged than suspects of other ethnicities, including white suspects. Victim attrition was more likely in cases where the suspect was a partner or ex-partner and least likely where the suspect was a stranger, more likely in SSOs than in rape cases, and more likely when the victim ethnicity was “other”. Law enforcement should be aware of the potential biases, both relating to rape myths and stereotypes and to the biased treatment of victims and suspects based on demographic characteristics, and work to eliminate these to ensure a fairer and more effective RASSO investigative process.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.977318/fullsexual violenceraperape myths and stereotypespolicingpolice outcomes
spellingShingle Kari Davies
Ruth Spence
Emma Cummings
Maria Cross
Miranda A. H. Horvath
Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
Frontiers in Psychology
sexual violence
rape
rape myths and stereotypes
policing
police outcomes
title Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
title_full Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
title_fullStr Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
title_full_unstemmed Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
title_short Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
title_sort understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
topic sexual violence
rape
rape myths and stereotypes
policing
police outcomes
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.977318/full
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