Beyond surveys and scales: How rape myths manifest in sexual assault police records.

Abstract

The majority of sexual assault cases reported to police are never prosecuted. Prior literature has suggested rape myths may explain these trends because police are influenced by and draw upon rape myths in their beliefs, assumptions, and actions. However, prior research has relied on surveys to measure police attitudes; less is known regarding the extent to which these attitudes manifest in official sexual assault case records. The purpose of the current study was to determine the extent to which rape myths manifest in sexual assault investigations and develop a typology of statements that functionally operate as rape myths in official police records. Method: The written police records from N ϭ 248 sexual assault cases were examined. Cases were coded via directed and conventional content analysis for rape myths. Results: Statements in police records drew upon rape myths that denied or justified the assault on the basis of specific circumstances of the assault (i.e., circumstantial statements) and specific characteristics of the victim (i.e., characterological statements). Statements in police reports also blamed victims for the way police responded to the assault (i.e., investigatory blame statements). Conclusions: Rape myth endorsement among police is evidenced in official sexual assault case records because they invoke traditional rape myths in documenting their investigations. More frequently, police account for their response by blaming the victim for a poor police investigation postassault. Findings suggest that future research should examine the extent to which such statements predict sexual assault case progression and that training for police should emphasize behavioral change (i.e., report writing).

Why Police “Couldn't or Wouldn't” Submit Sexual Assault Kits for Forensic DNA Testing: A Focal Concerns Theory Analysis of Untested Rape Kits

“…In reviews of sexual assault police reports, it is not uncommon to find instances of law enforcement personnel writing about victims in harsh, often judgmental language. For example, Tasca et al (2013Tasca et al ( : 1167) cited a police report in which a detective wrote, "Victim is a prostitute, addict, smoked crack with suspect;" (see also Shaw et al 2017). These indexes of perceived credibility-and others-are consistent predictors of case closures, exceptional clearances, unfounding decisions, false report designations, or otherwise no actions taken in reported rape cases (Kaiser et al 2017;Kelley & Campbell 2013;Morabito et al 2016;Murphy et al 2014;Pattavina et al 2016;Spohn & Tellis 2010;Spohn et al 2014;Tasca et al 2013).…”

Bystander Response to Sexual Assault Disclosures in the U.S. Military: Encouraging Survivors to use Formal Resources

“…Survivors who experience less stereotypical assaults or do not label the assault as a “rape” are less likely to seek help from formal supports (DeLoveh & Cattaneo, ; Fisher, Daigle, Cullen, & Turner, ; Zinzow & Thompson, ). Police officers are most willing to investigate sexual assaults that fit stereotypical notions of “real rape” experienced by a “perfect victim” (Shaw, Campbell, Cain, & Feeney, ; Venema, ). When examining wider range of assaultive behaviors, survivors may have (justifiable) doubts that formal supports will respond positively, and, as a result, be less inclined to encourage other survivors to use them as well.…”

Nursing work is justice work: Rethinking justice and promoting healing in survivors of gender‐based violence

“…Of those 230 reported cases, fewer than five result in incarceration (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, & Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017). One reason is survivor anticipation of negative treatment by the justice system, starting with police reports (Patterson, Greeson, & Campbell, 2009;Rich, 2019;Shaw, Campbell, Cain, & Feeney, 2017). Relatedly, many survivors seek law enforcement intervention only because they feel that reporting is their sole option, and some leave without feeling that their true justice needs were met.…”