An exploratory study of police officers’ familiarity with resources available for sexual assault survivors

• In Event: Policing and Victims

Abstract

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (2015, 2022), police personnel should provide service referrals and information to survivors when responding to reports of sexual assault. Services for survivors can include counseling, education, medical assistance, and support to prepare for multiple stages of the criminal justice process. However, to be able to adequately refer these resources, officers must be familiar with the services available to survivors in their jurisdiction. Using a sample of 334 officers in Kentucky, we conducted an exploratory study to assess the relationship between officer characteristics (e.g., demographics, experience in policing, training background, jurisdiction type) and their familiarity with resources available to survivors including victim services, victim advocates, and SANEs. Overall, roughly half of the officers were familiar with each type of survivor resource in their jurisdiction. Additionally, some officer characteristics – including gender, jurisdiction type, years in policing, training, and number of sexual assault reports responded to – were significantly correlated with an increased familiarity of services. Implications of these findings for future research and police training efforts will be discussed.

Authors

• Katelyn McMahon, University of Louisville

• Bradley A. Campbell, University of Louisville