An Institutional Response to Date Rape

This article reviews the existing literature on date rape and its prevention. As a result of an analysis of the literature, a model for date rape prevention on university campuses has been developed. The model is based on an adaptation of Roark's (1987) prevention strategies at the institutional level and Neuman's (1989) Total Systems Model. It provides a comprehensive approach to date rape prevention at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention. The model also includes a date rape assessment guide and sample date rape prevention program.Cet article examine la documentation pourtant sur "les agressions sexuelles par une connaissance" (date rape) et les mesures préventives en vigueur. Après avoir analysé la documentation pertinente, un modèle portant sur la prévention des agressions sexuelles sur les campus universitaires a été développé. Le mod-èle et une adaptation des stratégies institutionelles de prévention (Prevention Strategies at the Institutional Level ) de Roark (1987) et du modèle des systèmes (Total Systems Model) de Neuman (1989). Il vise à intégrer les stratégies de prévention de premier, deuxième et troisième niveaux. Le modèle comprend également un guide d'évaluation des agressions sexuelles et un programmme de prévention

Investigative decision making: missing people and sexual offences, crossroads to an uncertain future

In recent years detective competence and particularly investigative decision making has been subject to serious criticism and a number of high profile reviews. Concerns around investigative competence do not just focus around decisions made on the ground but police attitudes to certain crimes. This paper examines police decision making in the context of missing people and sexual violence and identifies challenges in the development of investigative competence in the context of police budget cuts and substantial reform

Pathways to Attrition: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Justifications for Police Designations of Sexual Assault Complaints

The present analysis is a reframing of an earlier study conducted by the author to compensate for perceived deficiencies in previous studies on police decisions in sexual assault complaints. Specifically, qualitative comparative analysis was employed at the micro-social level to reveal justification scenarios, employed by investigating officers, which resulted in attrition at the police level. It was found that police employed the legal model in justifying “unfounded” designations while police employed both legal and extralegal models in justifying designations of “departmental discretion.” Further rese arch, expanding the database through interview s and participant observation, is necessary to fully explore justification scenarios for police designations of sexual assault complaint

The role of female's alcohol consumption and clothing on attitudes towards date rape

Both alcohol consumption and clothing that is labeled provocative have been shown to increase people’s negative judgment towards women in a sexual aggression situation. Two experiments assessed the role that these two factors play in conjunction with one another. Experiment One assessed the types of women’s clothing that college students consider provocative or conservative, as well as an independent rating of how fashionable students consider the clothing. The photographs rated as most provocative, conservative and fashionable were used in Experiment Two. In Experiment Two, participants read an incident/police report, accompanied by the photograph of a woman wearing either a provocative outfit or a conservative outfit, as determined by Experiment One. The incident/police report is about a woman who reported a sexual assault. In one report, she reported drinking beforehand; in the alternate version, she reported being completely sober. Participants will then make judgments of the man’s versus the woman’s responsibility. The Attitudes towards Women Scale (AWS) (Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1973) and the Revised Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire will also be completed. Results will be analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance in Experiment One and in Experiment Two, a between subjects 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance. Expected results are a main effect for clothing type and for alcohol. Further, an interaction is expected with a woman dressed provocatively and consuming alcohol on a date viewed as much more responsible for sexual assault (a synergistic versus an additive effect)

Police Perceptions on False Accusations of Sexual Assault

The purpose of this study was to expand current literature regarding police officers’ perceptions on false accusations of sexual assault; specifically, focusing on perceptions of the frequency of false accusations, rape myths and behavior displayed by women reporting sexual assault. Police officers’ perceptions on false accusations of sexual assault were examined by administering a 21-question survey consisting of close-ended and open-ended questions. The survey included questions about police perceptions, false accusations, rape myths, training, and behaviors of women reporting sexual assault. The sample consisted of 40 sworn law enforcement officers from different municipal police departments in Tennessee. The results showed that, despite empirical evidence, police officers were more likely to perceive high rates of false accusations of sexual assault, as well as endorse certain rape myths. Findings also showed a number of police officers perceived different behaviors of women making a false report than those not making a false report