Abstract
Research has shown that prosecutors rely more heavily on victim characteristics and other extralegal factors than on criteria set forth by the law, when evaluating the merits of a rape case. Little is known, however, about the factors police officers use when assessing the merits of a rape case. The current study contributes to what is known about police officers’ attitudes toward rape. A survey was administered to 891 sworn police officers in two states in the southeastern United States. The surveys were designed to assess police officers’ acceptance of rape myths. Police officers who accept more rape myths were less likely to believe victims who did not adhere to the stereotyped “genuine victim.” This research contributes to what is known about the factors affecting police officers’ decision-making in rape cases. This study has implications for assessing the effectiveness of rape law reforms, inasmuch as these reforms are conveyed through police work.
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Notes
It was later discovered that at least two of the four police departments that declined participation had launched sexual assault or domestic violence investigations against a police officer within the department.
This portion of the data was reported in an earlier article by Page (2007).
Responses of Agree and Strongly Agree on the RMA-R were coded as High Rape Myth Acceptance and responses of Disagree and Strongly Disagree on the RMA-R were coded as Low to Moderate Rape Myth Acceptance.
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Dellinger Page, A. Gateway to Reform? Policy Implications of Police Officers’ Attitudes Toward Rape. Am J Crim Just 33, 44–58 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-007-9024-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-007-9024-9