Date
2-23-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Human Services
Abstract
After a crime is reported, several different stakeholders work to take the case from a police report to a conviction. In sexual assault cases, these stakeholders may consist of police officers, medical professionals, advocates, forensic scientists, prosecutors, and others. Yet, this process cannot begin until a victim reports their crime to law enforcement. Sexual assault cases are widely underreported and for a variety of reasons. Data from the 2015-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey suggests that only about one-third of sexual assaults are reported to police, while only about 3% lead to a felony conviction (RAINN, n.d.).
The criminal justice community must provide all victims with a trauma-informed and effective response to crime. It is imperative that the community work to develop and employ methods that promote the empowerment of sexual assault victims while increasing their willingness to report the crime, engage in the investigation, and participate in the criminal prosecution of their offender.
Criminal justice communities must consider implementing a multi-disciplinary, coordinated response to better serve victims of sexual assault. In this essay, the author reviews the issues of under-reporting and low conviction rates related to sexual assault. The author will explore the benefits and challenges of implementing an embedded victim advocacy program or creating a sexual assault response team while also focusing on the shortcomings of modern-day sexual offender treatment programs.