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Pathways to Sexual Assault Case Attrition: Culture, Context, and Case Clearance

NCJ Number
304745
Journal
Victims & Offenders Volume: 16 Issue: 8 Dated: 2021 Pages: 1061-1076
Author(s)
A. Pattavina; et al
Date Published
2021
Length
16 pages
Annotation

Since sexual assault case attrition research has been consistent in documenting that sexual assault complaints fall out of the system at disturbing rates, this article describes a pathway to attrition where managerial concerns incentivize case processing outcomes that remove cases early in the system and scaffolds a decision-making context where rape myth adherence provides sustained rationalizations for closing cases.

Abstract

Using data on sexual assault incidents reported to the police, we present a quantitative analysis that investigates such a pathway to attrition that considers how police and prosecutors work together at the pre-arrest stage and the extent to which this practice facilitates the use of exceptional clearance police classification to close sexual assault investigations. (Publisher Abstract)