Victim Cooperation and Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases: An Examination of Legal Action in Los Angeles

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

Sexual assault in America is a major cause for concern; According to the National Crime Victimization Survey approximately 321, 500 Americans are victims of sexual assault annually or every 98 seconds an individual falls victim to sexual assault (NCVS, 2015). Given the frequency and severity of these crimes, the successful prosecution of them is vital in reducing their frequency and preventing sexually violent offenders from repeating assaults. The current study examined sexual assault cases (N = 220) reported to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department in 2008 in order to assess the association between evidence types, victim cooperation, and whether or not the district attorney took legal action. The prosecution took legal action in 51% of the cases in which the victim cooperated with the investigation while pursing charges in 42% of the cases where physical evidence was present. While evidence was negatively associated with legal action on its own, this effect disappeared when victim cooperation was included in the regression model. Victim cooperation was significantly associated with legal action (OR = 9.31, p = .022). These findings highlight the importance of working with, protecting, and ensuring the cooperation of victims.

Authors

• Savannah Smith, California State University Los Angeles

• Carly Dierkhising, California State University, Los Angeles