The influence of victim intoxication and victim attire on police responses to sexual assault

摘要

Limited research exists on the impact of contextual factors such as victim intoxication andnvictim attire on police processing of a case of sexual assault. The effects of these variablesnwere examined in a simulated sexual assault case. Participants were 125 detectives fromnthe New South Wales Police Department. Offi cers read controverted witness statementsnand viewed photographs pertaining to an investigation of a report of date rape. Contrarynto fi ndings in earlier studies, complainant intoxication, ‘provocative’ dress, and gender ofnthe offi cer had no infl uence on the likelihood of charging the alleged offender. Factorsnpredictive of pressing charges were the perceived credibility of the complainant and culpabilitynof the alleged offender. Credibility and guilt judgements were themselves infl uencednby the level of rape myth acceptance endorsed by the offi cers. Rape myth acceptancenalso exerted a number of other effects on case evaluations. Implications for future studiesnand education and training programmes for police on sexual assault were discussed.nCopyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.