NCJ Number
239275
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2012 Pages: 169-192
Date Published
February 2012
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article reviews research on the response of the criminal justice system to the crime of sexual assault.
Abstract
The legal reforms of the 1960s and 1970s notwithstanding, sexual assault is a crime characterized by underreporting and case attrition. In this article, the authors synthesize research examining the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault. The authors begin by examining research on the victim's decision to report the crime to the police. This is followed by a discussion of the findings of sexual assault case processing research, with a focus on the criminal justice system's response to aggravated and simple rape and to intimate partner sexual violence. The authors end the article with a discussion of questions that research has yet to adequately answer. (Published Abstract)