New Findings on Sexual Violence Case Attrition: Progress and Recession in Bridging the Justice Gap

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

In the past 40 years there has been considerable progress and improvements in the responses of law enforcement personnel and prosecutors to reports of sexual violence. There remain, however, many areas of challenge for the criminal justice system (CJS) and efforts to close the “justice gap” in cases of sexual assault. These challenges may contribute to the reality that most women and men still do not report sexual assault to the police. It is well documented that there is significant attrition in criminal justice processing of reported cases of sexual assault. Most reported sexual assault does not result in arrest or prosecution. Indeed based on current research fewer than one in five reported cases are cleared by arrest and most of these cases never go forward to prosecution. This panel presents findings from a cross-jurisdiction study of case processing of 3478 reports of sexual assault in six police departments located across the United States. We examine disposal of cases through unfounding and use of exceptional clearance, the impact of testing of sexual assault kit forensic evidence on case processing, and the role of victim characteristics on case attrition. The panel concludes with recommendations for improvements in CJS policy and practice.

Sub Unit

• Area VII. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 32. Considering Criminal Justice Policies

Division of Special Interest

• Divisions of Special Interest / Division on Women & Crime

Individual Presentations

• Unfounding or Exceptional Clearance: How Do Police Dispose of Sexual Assault Complaints? - Melissa Morabito, University of Massachusetts Lowell; April Pattavina, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Linda M. Williams, Wellesley Centers for Women

• A Case Study of Police and Prosecution “Real Time” Adaptation to a Legislative Mandate to Test All Sexual Assault Kits - April Pattavina, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Linda M. Williams, Wellesley Centers for Women; Melissa Morabito, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Victim Characteristics and Case Attrition: How Who Gets Raped Impacts Sexual Assault Case Attrition - Linda M. Williams, Wellesley Centers for Women; April Pattavina, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Melissa Morabito, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Chair

• Linda M. Williams, Wellesley Centers for Women

Discussant

• Bethany Backes, USDOJ's National Institute of Justice