“Most [False Reports] Involve Teens”: Officer Attitudes Toward Teenage Sexual Assault Complainants—A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Scholars, advocates, and victims have repeatedly criticized the police treatment of sexual assault (SA) complainants. Apathetic attitudes and hostile behavior on the part of the police have likely resulted from socialization into a culture that condones the use of force and violence and blames SA victims for their victimization. Using data from in-depth semistructured interviews with 52 Los Angeles Police Department sex crimes detectives, we examine officer attitudes toward teenage complainants of SA. Notably, almost three fourths of the respondents ( n = 38; 73%) mentioned that teenagers lie about SA. Practical implications, theoretical advancements, and directions for future research are discussed.

Adolescents and sexual assault: A critical integrative review

“…Witnessing an individual accused of adolescent SA being appointed to the US Supreme Court communicates to survivors that formal systems will not believe or protect them (Fortin, 2018). Survivors not being believed by systems and responders has also been documented in research, with a recent study highlighting police prejudice toward teen survivors (O'Neal & Hayes, 2020). Specifically, 75% of the 52 police officers interviewed in the study mentioned that they believe adolescent survivors often lie about being sexually assaulted (O'Neal & Hayes, 2020).…”

Chinese Police Cadets’ Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence: A Pretest/Posttest Design

“…It is likely that these respondents resisted the training and may be tied to the broader police subculture. Scholars have highlighted the critical role of the police subculture in understanding officers' attitudes and behaviors (O'Neal & Hayes, 2020). Relatedly, prior research indicates that police officers may resist as women gain a larger presence in the police department (Prokos & Padavic, 2002).…”

The Sexual Stratification Hypothesis and Prosecuting Sexual Assault: Is the Decision to File Charges Influenced by the Victim-Suspect Racial-Ethnic Dyad?

“…The following measures center on factors that could result in the victim’s credibility being questioned and therefore impact both prosecutorial uncertainty and convictability. The first variable included is a continuous variable for victim age (O’Neal & Hayes, 2020; Spohn & Tellis, 2012, 2014), with victims having an average age of 25.17 ( SD = 11.409, range = 12–75). Second, this study includes a dichotomous measure of victim “risk-taking” behaviors ( yes =1, no = 0; LaFree, 1980, 1989; Meeker et al, 2019; Morabito et al, 2019; Spohn & Holleran, 2001) that captures whether the victim engaged in any risk-taking behaviors before or during the incident (e.g., walking alone at night, accepting a ride from a stranger, going to the suspect’s residence, inviting the suspect to their residence, in a bar alone, hanging out where drugs are sold, consuming alcohol, drunk, consuming drugs, passing out due to intoxication).…”

“…Relatedly, studies draw attention to legal actors’ dependence on extra-legal factors that challenge victim credibility, such as mental health concerns (Kerstetter, 1990; Morabito et al, 2019; Spohn & Tellis, 2012), “risk-taking” (e.g., alcohol use, hitchhiking; Meeker et al, 2019; Morabito et al, 2019; Spohn et al, 2001; Tellis & Spohn, 2008), age (O’Neal & Hayes, 2020), and reputation concerns (Alderden & Ullman, 2012; Beichner & Spohn, 2005; Spohn et al, 2001; Spohn & Holleran, 2001). Alderden and Ullman (2012), for example, found that prosecutors were less likely to file felony charges in cases involving victims with questionable moral character (participation in sex work, abusing drugs or alcohol, having a prior arrest record, or presenting as promiscuous).…”