Understanding Adult Male Sexual Violence Victims' Reporting and Prosecution Decisions.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify salient factors associated with adult male sexual violence victims' reporting and prosecution decisions, using a socioecological, mixed-methods approach. Method: British Crime survey data from 2004-2012 will be explored in two studies and used to model the different social ecologies which may interact to influence victims' decision making. The two models will be developed through adapting the Feminist Rape Mythology Hypothesis (Anders, 2007) to explore how congruence with rape myths (victim and assault level), and social support predict decision-making behaviour. A third study will explore these issues, and the value of the socioecological approach, qualitatively through in-depth interviews with voluntary organisation victim support workers. Results: Planned analyses include multi-level modelling for studies 1 and 2, and abbreviated Grounded Theory for study 3. Conclusion: The research findings are anticipated to have important implications for the policy and practice of the police, criminal justice system, and statutory and voluntary agencies which support male victims of sexual violence. Ultimately it is hoped that this research will shed further light on the experiences of male victims: an oft neglected and under-researched topic