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Many folks bring up rape as a reason to not defund cops.
Here's a screenshot of LA police threatening to not investigate rape if there's 5% cut on their nearly $1.8 billion budget.
I'm going to slowly drop some research on police and rape from my archives below.
Here's a screenshot of LA police threatening to not investigate rape if there's 5% cut on their nearly $1.8 billion budget.
I'm going to slowly drop some research on police and rape from my archives below.
A study exploring how police officers' understanding (or lack thereof) of sexual assault influence their response.
Police have a lot of discretion and their personal biases (like racism, sexism, classism, and embracing rape myths) permeate the process. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260514556765
Police have a lot of discretion and their personal biases (like racism, sexism, classism, and embracing rape myths) permeate the process. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260514556765
From the lit review:
"Rape victim advocate centers report that secondary victimization through victim-blaming statements by the police is the most salient direct service barrier to their work."
"Rape victim advocate centers report that secondary victimization through victim-blaming statements by the police is the most salient direct service barrier to their work."
"For victims of sexual assault who experienced penetration, reporting to the police appears to exacerbate the impact of the sexual assault and increase depression levels (Kaukinen & DeMaris, 2009)."
"Jordan...found that historically pervasive attitudes of mistrust in women’s testimony continues to be evident in police processing of sexual assault cases."
"A few studies...found that police often do not perceive non-stranger assaults as rape."
"A few studies...found that police often do not perceive non-stranger assaults as rape."
The legal system also a major part:
"Martin (2005) argued that goals, missions, policies, and procedures play an important role in how legal organizations and their employees socially construct sexual assault and sexual assault-related work."
"Martin (2005) argued that goals, missions, policies, and procedures play an important role in how legal organizations and their employees socially construct sexual assault and sexual assault-related work."
Officers claim they treat rape reports similarly, reality shows otherwise:
"they simultaneously describe the implementation of different responses during interactions with victims. For example, officers may conduct light interrogations when a case is perceived as false..."
"they simultaneously describe the implementation of different responses during interactions with victims. For example, officers may conduct light interrogations when a case is perceived as false..."
"While some officers warned against early judgments of legitimacy and victim credibility...the topic of false reporting was ever-present, and components of "real rape" and "ideal victim" myths permeated interviews."
Police generally think rape victims are liars. #NotTheSolution
Police generally think rape victims are liars. #NotTheSolution
ok taking a break. will share more later.
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Shameless plug to support my work if you appreciate what I do and want to see more of it! http://patreon.com/wagatwe
http://paypal.me/wagatwe
http://venmo.com/wagatwe
http://cash.me/$wagatwe
Police behavior can have a huge influence on a victim's emotional well-being, which sucks since research shows about 1/2 of rape victims reported police inflicting a secondary traumatization. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260510362889
"Rape is a pervasive but underreported crime in the US, causing debilitating psychological and physical health consequences for victims...some of this distress is also due to how the criminal justice system responds to rape victims."
In one study interviewing both victims and police officers, they found 40% of the victims were questioned about their sexual history—which is supposed to be banned thanks to rape shield laws—and 38% of the officers admitted to doing it.
"As a result of these secondary victimization experiences, many victims reported feeling dehumanized and blamed themselves. Many victims noted that they would not have reported if they had known what the experience would be like." https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510362889
"victims who are younger, an ethnic minority, raped by an acquaintance, or who wait to report the rape even for a few hours are less likely to have their cases prosecuted because the CJS perceives them as less credible." https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510362889
In this study, "none of the cases involving minority victims were prosecuted
...the findings suggest that the CJS may be basing their decisions in part on victims’ perceived credibility."
...the findings suggest that the CJS may be basing their decisions in part on victims’ perceived credibility."
Police contact for sexually abused Black girls and other girls of color often leads to more violence.
For many victims officers are a source of more abuse, not relief from it. https://nicic.gov/sexual-abuse-prison-pipeline-girls-story
For many victims officers are a source of more abuse, not relief from it. https://nicic.gov/sexual-abuse-prison-pipeline-girls-story
Sexually abused girls are more likely to be placed in a group or foster home.
Trauma manifests in different ways. It's common for abused girls to behave "badly" as a response to the trauma.
Caretakers often call police to "control" them, exacerbating the trauma.
Trauma manifests in different ways. It's common for abused girls to behave "badly" as a response to the trauma.
Caretakers often call police to "control" them, exacerbating the trauma.
A study found police often use rape myths to justify their decisions on sexual assault cases.
One disturbing trend: if there's a poor police investigation, officers would blame the rape victims for it.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-40099-001
One disturbing trend: if there's a poor police investigation, officers would blame the rape victims for it.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-40099-001
In 60% of the reports, officers used rape myths related to the circumstances of the assault.
In 42% of them, officers used rape myths related to the victim's life ("not credible"/"slutty"/sex worker/"crazy"/drug use). https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000072
In 42% of them, officers used rape myths related to the victim's life ("not credible"/"slutty"/sex worker/"crazy"/drug use). https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000072
