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Police Decisions in a Rape Scenario: The Effect of Trauma Response, Forensic Evidence, Stranger-Perpetrators, and
Cortney A Franklin1, Leana A Bouffard2, Amanda Goodson3
1Division of Governmental Studies and Services, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
Violence Against Women
|September 14, 2023
Summary
Police perceptions of rape cases are influenced by case characteristics and beliefs about sexual assault. Rape myth endorsement significantly impacts arrest, charge acceptance, and conviction likelihood.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Forensic Psychology
- Sociology of Law
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing police processing of sexual assault cases is crucial for justice.
- Rape myths, or unfounded beliefs about sexual assault, can bias perceptions and decision-making.
- Previous research has not fully explored the interplay between specific case details and rape myth endorsement in police decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how "classic rape" characteristics and rape myth endorsement affect police officers' decisions regarding arrest, charge acceptance, and conviction.
- To examine the moderating role of rape myth endorsement in the relationship between case characteristics and case processing outcomes.
- To provide empirical data for improving policies and practices in sexual assault investigations.
Main Methods:
- A factorial vignette design was used with 468 police participants from a large, diverse U.S. city.
- Participants were randomly assigned to evaluate hypothetical rape disclosure scenarios manipulated by stereotypical trauma response, forensic medical exam presence, and perpetrator type.
- Path modeling was employed to analyze the direct and moderating effects on arrest likelihood, perceived district attorney charge acceptance, and perceived suspect conviction.
Main Results:
- Stereotypical trauma response, forensic medical exam, and perpetrator type significantly influenced arrest likelihood, charge acceptance, and conviction.
- Rape myth endorsement acted as a moderator, altering the impact of these case characteristics on the outcome variables.
- The findings highlight the complex interplay between objective case information and subjective biases in police decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Police officers' perceptions and subsequent decisions in sexual assault cases are significantly shaped by both case details and their endorsement of rape myths.
- Interventions aimed at reducing rape myth endorsement among law enforcement personnel may be critical for ensuring equitable case processing.
- The study underscores the need for evidence-based training and policy reforms to address biases in the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault.
Keywords:
forensic medical exampolice case processingsexual assaultstranger–perpetratortrauma responseMore Related Videos
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