The Police Reporting Behavior of Intimate Partner Violence Victims

In the current research, we draw on Canadian national data to examine the police reporting decisions of married and cohabiting intimate partner violence victims. Our analyses examine how police notification decisions are influenced by the demographic characteristics of victims and incident-specific factors. We find that the victims who contact the police more often live in a cohabiting relationship and with children. In contrast to predictions, we find that visible minority women more often call the police. Income, education, and employment status do not appear to shape the police reporting decisions of women. Finally, women who call the police are also likely to have experienced severe forms of violence including threats with weapons, injury, and the destruction of their property.     

Jurors' Perceptions of Adolescent Sexual Assault Victims Who Have Intellectual Disabilities

Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities are especially likely to be sexually abused. Even so, their claims are not likely to be heard in court, possibly because people assume that jurors will not believe them. We tested this assumption in a mock-trial study in which 160 men and women watched videotaped excerpts from an actual trial. As predicted, when the 16-year-old sexual assault victim was portrayed as mildly mentally retarded instead of as having average intelligence, jurors were more likely to vote guilty and had more confidence in the defendant's guilt; considered the victim to be more credible and the defendant to be less credible as witnesses; and rated the victim as more honest, less capable of fabricating the sexual abuse accusation, and less likely to have fabricated the sexual abuse accusation. Men and women were affected similarly by the disability manipulation, but women were generally more pro-prosecution in their case judgments and perceptions than were men. Finally, jurors who had more liberal views toward persons with disabilities were more likely than other jurors to make pro-prosecution judgments on measures of guilt. Implications for psychological theory and the law are discussed.     

THE TRANSFORMATION OF TROUBLE: Police Certification and State Compensation of Sexual Assault Claims

This article is concerned with the transformation of private troubles into social and legal problems. It is argued that this transformation process involves a micro-and macro-politics of claims-making. Data are presented on police certification and state compensation of sexual assault claims in a mid western state. The largest urban area in this state is distinguished by the collective claims-making of antirape activists, and by the resulting presence of a sexual assault treatment center, which we expected would reduce the influence of racial characteristics on police certifications of innocence, while correspondingly increasing the influence of police certifications on the success of compensation claims. Our results confirm the above expectations. An implication of our findings is that black victims of intraracial sexual assaults are more likely to see their compensation claims succeed, and to see their troubles recognized as social and legal problems in those settings where macro-level antirape efforts have been institutionalized in treatment and/or advocacy centers. More generally, our findings suggest that the transformation of private troubles into social and legal problems can be contingent on collective claims-making in the context considered.     

Police Responses to Sexual Assault Complaints: The Role of Perpetrator/Complainant Intoxication

This study explored the impact of victim and perpetrator alcohol consumption on police officers' evaluations of an alleged sexual assault and their reported likelihood of charging the perpetrator. Two hundred and twelve police officers were presented with a vignette depicting an acquaintance rape in which the beverage consumption (beer, cola) of both the victim and perpetrator was systematically varied. Results indicated that the officers' perceptions of the complainant's intoxication level, as well as the gender of the officer, influenced officers' evaluations of the alleged sexual assault. The more intoxicated the complainant was perceived to be, the more negatively she was viewed. Female police officers evaluated the victim more favorably than male officers. The only factors related to the officers' likelihood of charging the perpetrator, however, involved their assessment of the complainant's credibility and their perception of the likelihood that the perpetrator would be found guilty in a court of law.     

Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases:

Those who champion the recruitment of minorities and women to the bench argue that black and female judges could bring about important policy changes. This study compared decision making by black and white and by male and female judges in sexual assault cases disposed of in Detroit Recorder's Court from 1976 to 1985. We found no racial differences and very few gender differences. The only exception was that female judges imposed longer prison sentences than did male judges. Considered together, the findings are indicative of the powerful influence of socialization on the legal profession and on the judicial role.     

负有照护职责人员性侵罪的罪间认定——以犯罪对象的部分性承诺能力为视角

"负有照护职责人员性侵罪"中犯罪对象的性承诺能力不明,导致其正当性根据存疑,存在提高性承诺年龄说、隐形强制与伦理禁忌说、缓和的家长主义等学说,但均难以从根本上化解负有照护职责人员性侵罪的罪间矛盾。部分性承诺能力说以性承诺能力的逐步获得为事实前提,以全面保护性权利为价值导向,结合性承诺能力降低的具体情形,将性承诺能力划分为三个类型:完全性承诺能力、部分性承诺能力、无性承诺能力,14周岁至16周岁的未成年人女性针对负有照护职责的人员只有部分性承诺能力,利用其部分性承诺能力对其奸淫的行为,构成负有照护职责人员性侵罪,但不构成基于无性承诺能力的奸淫幼女型强奸罪,也不是具有完全性承诺能力时的非罪行为,进而从根本上化解了负有照护职责人员性侵罪的体系矛盾,为其提供了正当性依据。在此基础上,基于平等原则,应扩大负有照护职责人员性侵罪犯罪对象的范围,将性行为扩大为进入式性行为,并相应地扩大犯罪主体的范围。     

Factors Associated with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victimization

This study explored factors associated with a lifetime history of domestic violence and sexual assault in a sample of welfare recipients in Illinois. Results indicate that childhood exposure to domestic violence is a risk factor for both sexual assault and domestic violence victimization, but that childhood physical abuse is only a risk factor for domestic violence. Increased education and employment skills and having more children were also risk factors for domestic violence victimization. Domestic violence was significantly associated with depression, while sexual assault was associated with low social support and a greater perceived need for mental health services. Frequent alcohol and drug use were not associated with either type of victimization. Research implications are discussed.     

Sexual Orientation,Race, and Trauma as Predictors of Sexual Assault Recovery

Sexual minorities and racial minorities experience greater negative impact following sexual assault. We examined recovery from sexual assault among women who identified as heterosexual and bisexual across racial groups. A community sample of women (N?=?905) completed three yearly surveys about sexual victimization, recovery outcomes, race group, and sexual minority status. Bisexual women and Black women reported greater recovery problems. However, Black women improved more quickly on depression symptoms than non-Black women. Finally, repeated adult victimization uniquely undermined survivors’ recovery, even when controlling for child sexual abuse. Sexual minority and race status variables and their intersections with revictimization play roles in recovery and should be considered in treatment protocols for sexual assault survivors.     

莫妮卡:既是天使,又是斗士

从南欧的波斯尼亚到非洲的刚果,莫妮卡·豪瑟尔(Monica Hauser)在世界各地竭尽全力帮助那些被社会遗忘的受害者——因战争冲突而遭受性暴力摧残的女性。由于她非凡的工作,著名的美国《读者文摘》将其评为该杂志2011年欧洲年度人物。     

差异提取试剂盒在混合斑DNA提取中的应用

目的评估差异提取试剂盒对混合斑样本中的精子和上皮细胞DNA分离提取的有效性。方法采用差异提取试剂盒,选择性裂解精细胞和上皮细胞,结合磁珠法分别对人为控制条件下制备的模拟混合样本和案件中的混合斑检材进行精细胞DNA和上皮细胞DNA的分离提取。对所提取的DNA进行定量分析和STR分型。结果该试剂盒能从精子和上皮细胞不同比例的混合斑中提取出高纯度的精细胞和上皮细胞DNA。结论该差异提取试剂盒适用于性侵害案件中混合斑检材的DNA提取。     

Empathy and Jurors' Decisions in Patricide Trials Involving Child Sexual Assault Allegations

In a mock-trial paradigm, 205 participants considered a patricide trial in which a child defendant claimed the patricide was done in self-defense after years of sexual abuse. Participants in an empathy-induction condition were asked to take the perspective of the defendant and to detail how they would be thinking and feeling if they were the defendant. Control condition participants received no such instructions. Results indicated that, compared to jurors in the control condition, jurors who were asked to take the defendant's perspective had more empathy for the defendant (without feeling more similar to or more sympathy for the defendant), found the defendant less guilty and less responsible for the murder, and were more likely to consider abuse to be a mitigating factor in the killing. Overall, compared to men, women were more likely to believe the defendant's abuse allegations, find the defendant credible, and consider the defendant to be less responsible for the murder. Women in the empathy condition found the defendant less guilty than did all other jurors. Finally, child defendant gender was also varied, but this had few effects on case judgments overall. Jurors, however, were more likely to believe that the girl defendant was sexually abused than the boy defendant. We discuss theoretical implications for understanding the social psychological construct of empathy as well as implications for understanding jurors' decisions in cases involving child sexual assault allegations.     

Lethal Outcome in Sexual Assault Events: A Conjunctive Analysis

This paper examines violent sexual assaults and the factors associated with those assaults with lethal outcomes. It utilizes a criminal events perspective in conceptualizing the nature of these assaults and divides the event into three domains: victim characteristics, situational characteristics, and crime characteristics. Using a method developed by Miethe, Hart, and Regoeczi, conjunctive analysis of case configurations, we find that certain characteristics of the crime itself and certain characteristics of the victim appear strongly associated with fatal outcomes in sexual assaults, while situational characteristics appear relatively weakly associated with lethality.     

Peter Singer's ``Heavy Petting' and the Politics of Animal Sexual Assault

This essay confronts PeterSinger's (2001a) controversial suggestion thathuman-animal sexual relations should betolerated if they do not involve cruelty, apseudo-liberal position contradicted by theauthor's recent testimony in favor of a Bill tocriminalise bestiality. Against Singer, thisarticle argues that human-animal sex is a harmthat is wrong for the same reasons as isinter-human assault – because it involvescoercion, produces pain and suffering, andviolates the rights of another being. Positively, however, Singer's text opens up fora much overdue discussion some difficultquestions about the politics of animal sexualassault.     

The Believability of Hearsay Testimony in a Child Sexual Assault Trial

Two experiments investigated how mock jurors react to hearsay testimony in a case involving child sexual assault. Participants read a fictional criminal trial summary involving the sexual assault of a 4-(Experiment 2 only), 6-, or 14-year-old female. The summaries were presented in one of four conditions: (a) child condition—the alleged victim testified; (b) hearsay condition—the alleged victim did not testify, but an adult hearsay witness did testify; (c) multiple condition (Experiment 1 only)—both the alleged victim and the adult hearsay witness testified; and (d) no-witness condition—neither the alleged victim nor the hearsay witness testified. The hearsay testimony was believed to a considerable degree, and this testimony led to an increase in the perceived guilt of the defendant. Moreover, these results were comparable to those of conditions in which the alleged victim testified. The results are discussed in terms of the psychosocial factors affecting the perception of hearsay testimony in a child sexual assault trial.     

论对同意的认识错误——以性侵犯罪中的假想同意切入

在性侵犯罪中,得到法益主体同意的行为属于构成要件阻却事由.同意是存在价值判断的规范性构成要件要素,对于同意应当通过合理反抗规则吸收不等于不规则与肯定性同意规则的合理部分,是司法者进行规范评价的客观依据.对同意的认识错误属于归类性错误,只有那些符合社会主流价值的合理错误才能排除故意.并且,对于同意年龄的认识错误也是一种归类性错误.     

Exploring Perceptions of Portuguese Police about Human Trafficking Victims and Perpetrators

Crime, Law and Social Change - The present study uses a qualitative approach to explore how Portuguese police perceive human trafficking and the individuals involved. Three hundred and twenty-five...     

College Women and Sexual Assault: The Role of Sex-related Alcohol Expectancies

This study examined the relationship between alcohol, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and sexual assaults among women college students. Participants completed measures of sexual behaviors, sexual victimization experiences, sex related alcohol expectancies, and drinking habits. Based on participants’ responses women were categorized as having experienced no assault, unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, attempted rape, and rape. It was observed across groups that relative to controls, women reporting attempted rape and rape consumed higher levels of alcohol. Within group comparisons revealed that relative to controls, victimized women endorsed higher levels of sex-related alcohol expectancies. In the prediction of severity of sexual victimization, regression analyses revealed an interaction between alcohol consumption and expectancy of vulnerability to sexual coercion. At higher levels of alcohol consumption women endorsing high vulnerability to sexual coercion experienced more severe victimatization. Implications of the findings are discussed. This work was conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree by the first author under the direction of the third author.