PREDICTING RAPE VITCIM REPORTAGE

• NCJ Number: 45433
• Journal: Sociology and Social Research Volume: 62 Issue: 1 Dated: (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 63-84
• Author(s): R L DUKES; C L MATTLEY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University of Southern California
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, TUCSON, ARIZONA, NOVEMBER 1976

Annotation

FACTORS AFFECTING A RAPE VICTIM'S DECISION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO REPORT CRIME TO POLICE ARE ANALYZED, AND A STATISTICAL MODEL BASED ON THE RESULTS IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

FORTY-FIVE RECENT VICTIMS OF RAPE WERE INTERVIEWED IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT AN EXPLANATION OF WHY SOME VICTIMS REPORT THE OFFENSE TO POLICE WHILE OTHERS DO NOT. RESULTS OF OPEN- AND CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONS INDICATED THAT THE EMOTION OF FEAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPIST LEFT INTERACTED STATISTICALLY WITH PERCEIVED POLICE CONSIDERATION IN THE HANDLING OF RAPE CASES. A THEORETICAL MODEL DEVELOPED IN THIS RESEARCH ALLOWED STATISTICAL DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN REPORTERS AND NONREPORTERS FROM 87 PERCENT OF THE CASES IN THE SAMPLE. THE FINDINGS OF THIS RESEARCH SUPPORT A MODEL WHICH SUGGESTS THAT FOR CRIMES IN WHICH VICTIM FEAR IS A CHARACTERISTIC, IF POLICE ARE PERCEIVED AS PROVIDING A HAVEN FOR AN EXTREMELY FRIGHTENED VICTIM, SHE IS LIKELY TO REPORT THE CRIME TO THEM. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED.)