Sexual assault cases in the legal system: Police, prosecutor, and victim perspectives.

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to assess (a) the extent of attrition in the processing of sexual assault cases in the legal system, (b) factors associated with attrition at various stages in the process, and (c) victims' experiences in the legal system and the relations between these experiences and recovery. Our results suggest that substantial attrition continues to occur in the prosecution of rape cases, that more severe assaults are prosecuted more vigorously, that victims are generally satisfied with the police (but not with the legal system in general), and that neither attitudes nor case outcomes are associated with victims' postrape recovery. Research and policy implications are discussed

Sexual Assault Programming on College Campuses: Using Social Psychological Belief and Behavior Change Principles to Improve Outcomes

“…If men perceive sexual assault as resulting in high rewards with low cost and little likelihood of punishment, they will be more likely to engage in the act (O'Donohue, McKay, & Schewe, 1996). Although this perception may be relatively accurate, given that many assaults go unreported to formal or informal sources (e.g., Kilpatrick, Edmunds, & Seymour, 1992;Walsh, Banyard, Moynihan, Ward, & Cohn, 2010) and there are generally low prosecution rates for sexual assault cases (e.g., Frazier & Haney, 1996;Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006), it is believed that the provision of the negative outcomes of sexually coercive behavior may result in change in future situations that could involve sexual aggression (O'Donohue et al, 2003). Specific information provided to highlight the negative consequences of sexual assault may vary from vivid portrayals of a perpetrator who is prosecuted and subsequently imprisoned to information regarding the physical and psychological effects that sexual assault has on survivors, incorporating survivor empathy.…”

Discretionary prosecution of regulatory crimes: disproportionate emphasis and consequences to other serious crimes

“…In the case of the United Kingdom, for example, the conviction rate for sexual assaults is below 10% and that for rape is only 5% (Lea 2007, p. 496). Frazier and Haney (1996), based on the data of the U.S., similarly concluded that less than 10% of the total number of reported rape cases resulted in convictions or prison sentences.…”

Le mariage forcé au Canada : la criminalisation, une solution ?

“…Plusieurs études auprès des victimes et le système de justice pénale ont démontré qu'il n'est pas rare que ce dernier ajoute à la souffrance de la victime (Frazier et Haney, 1996 ;Erez et Belknap 1998 ;Herman, 2005). La justice pénale met souvent un fardeau sur les épaules de la victime (Baril, 1984).…”