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 ra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Law and human behavior 2000-10, Vol.24 (5), p.535-551
Main Authors: Schuller, Regina A, Stewart, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alcohol
Alcohol drinking
Alcohol Intoxication
Alcohol use
Alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic Intoxication
Analysis of Variance
Assaults
Attitude
Blame
Complaining
Credibility
Crime Victims
Decision making
Drunkenness
Effects
Female
Females
Guilty verdicts
Human
Human Sex Differences
Humans
Influence
Intoxication
Judgment
Male
Men
Middle Aged
Perceptions
Perpetrators
Police
Police Personnel
Queensland
Rape
Regression Analysis
Sex crimes
Sex Factors
Sex Offenses
Sexual assault
Studies
Victimization
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0147-7307
1573-661X
DOI:10.1023/A:1005519028528