“I thought I’m better off just trying to put this behind me” – a contemporary approach to understanding why women decide not to report sexual violence

StatusVoR
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Authors
Stewart, Sophie
Willmott, Dominic
Murphy, Anthony
Phillips, Catherine
Monograph
Monograph (alternative title)
Date
2024-10-28
Publisher
Journal title
The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology
Issue
1
Volume
35
Pages
Pages
85-101
DOI
ISSN
1478-9949
ISSN of series
Weblink
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14789949.2023.2292103
Access date
2024-10-28
Abstract PL
Abstract EN
Sexual offence disclosures are on the rise, thought to be the result of growing numbers of prosecutions brought against well-known public figures and mobilisation of movements such as #MeToo. Despite this, data continue to indicate that most victim-survivors will never report their abuse. This study aimed to explore why women continue to decide not to report sexual assault to the police. Secondary data were collated and analysed, pertaining to survivor accounts of sexual assault, posted in response to a prominent online video entitled ‘Women Tell Us Why They Didn’t Report Their Sexual Assault’. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes regarding why women chose not to report: (1) Lack of faith in the Criminal Justice System (encompassing two sub-themes, no evidence and traumatisation of reporting), (2) Self-blame, and (3) Knowing the perpetrator. Practical applications and reforms concerning empathic police responses and CJS improvements surrounding timeliness, case progression, and conviction rates are discussed.
Abstract other
Keywords PL
Sexual assault
rape
victim-survivor
disclosure
Under-reporting
Keywords EN
Keywords other
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 5. Gender Equality ,
SDG 10. Reduced Inequalities ,
SDG 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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URI
https://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2027
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cc-by-nc-nd
Except as otherwise noted, this item is licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence | Permitted use of copyrighted works
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