Reporting rape: victim perspectives on advocacy support in the criminal justice process

Concerns about the criminal justice response to rape have prompted the development of victim advocacy services across a range of jurisdictions, yet research evidence about the nature, meaning and value of advocacy remains limited. This article draws upon a study evaluating an innovative advocacy model introduced in Scotland to assist reporting rape to the police. Findings from interviews with nine victims highlight the importance of advocacy that is independent of statutory and criminal justice agencies. However, it is argued that this does not mitigate the need for specialization or reform in the criminal justice response to rape and, further, that the distinction between advocacy at an individual and societal level represents a false dichotomy

Aligning policy and law? The creation of a domestic abuse offence incorporating coercive control

Since 2000, the Scottish Government has adopted a gendered definition of domestic abuse which explicitly positions it as both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality. Following the launch of a new strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, the Scottish Government announced proposals to create, for the first time, a bespoke offence of domestic abuse, designed to encompass the spectrum of abusive acts that constitute domestic abuse, including emotional and psychological abuse. The new offence is intended to better reflect the experience of victims subject to coercive control, improve the criminal justice response and facilitate access to justice. It represents one of the most radical attempts yet to align the criminal justice response with contemporary policy and feminist conceptual understanding of domestic abuse as a form of coercive control. Drawing on feminist scholarship which has interrogated the value of law reform, we critically assess the scope of the legislation, the likely challenges associated with its use in the Scottish context, and the potential for unintended consequences

Victims are more willing to report rape, so why are conviction rates still woeful?

Only 5% of rape complaints in the UK end in convictions – what a legacy for the #metoo generation

Evaluation of Support to Report Pilot Advocacy Service: Summary Report

This summary report details the findings of an evaluation of the Support to Report (S2R) pilot advocacy service. The service was introduced to provide support to victims/survivors of rape at the initial stages of reporting to the police, and is the first of its kind in Scotland. The primary purpose of the evaluation was to monitor the implementation of the pilot service, and assess progress against objectives

The rise of female imprisonment in Scotland

First paragraph: Offending by women differs in a number of important ways from offending by men: it is less common, less frequent and less serious (Burman 2004; McIvor 2007; Gelb 2010; Schwartz and Steffensmeier 2007)). Women are typically convicted of relatively minor crimes that pose less public risk and, because they are usually convicted of offences that are less serious than those committed by men, they are less likely than men to receive custodial sentences. However, female imprisonment has increased dramatically in many western jurisdictions over the last 15-20 years as evidenced by significant increases in the numbers given sentences of imprisonment, in daily female prison populations, and in the rate of imprisonment of women (McIvor 2010). Indeed, in many countries, including Australia, England and Wales, New Zealand, Scotland and the US, the female prison population has increased at a faster rate than the male prison population in recent years (Walmsley 2012)

Troublesome youth groups, gangs and knife carrying in Scotland

"... the research reported here set out to: Provide an overview of what is known about the nature and extent of youth gang activity and knife carrying in a set of case study locations; Provide an in-depth account of the structures and activities of youth gangs in these settings; Provide an in-depth account of the knife carrying in these settings; Offer a series of recommendations for interventions in these behaviours based on this evidence." - exec. summary

Justice Journeys: Informing Policy and Practice Through Lived Experience of Victim-Survivors of Rape and Serious Sexual Assault

No abstract available

Evaluation of the whole system approach to young people who offend in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s Whole System Approach for Children and Young People who Offend (WSA) aims to prevent unnecessary use of custody and secure accommodation wherever possible, through the availability and use of services; and to seek opportunities to engage such young people, by putting in place a more streamlined and consistent response that works across all systems and agencies (a ‘whole system’ approach) to achieve better outcomes for young people and their communities. This evaluation, commissioned by the Scottish Government, examines the operation of the WSA in three Scottish local authorities. It combines scrutiny of WSA policy documentation and guidance notes, with a set of 33 qualitative interviews with WSA practitioners and stakeholders, observations of WSA meetings in each case study area, and quantitative analysis of relevant management data

Impact of Aspects of the Law of Evidence in Sexual Offence Trials: An Evaluation Study

This presents the findings from an evaluation of changes to the law of evidence in sex offence trials, restricting the use of evidence and questioning concerning complainers’ sexual history and character

Evaluation of the Rape Crisis Scotland National Advocacy Project

This is the final report detailing findings from the evaluation of Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Advocacy Project (NAP). It draws upon data gathered since the launch of the NAP in February 2016 to the end of August 2017. Findings are presented in three main sections: key national stakeholder perspectives; survivor data and perspectives; and practitioner perspectives. Key themes and learning points from the evaluation findings and recommendations for future policy and practice are then identified. A shorter executive summary of this report has also been made available for use as a policy and practice briefing