Citation

Venema RM, Lorenz K, Sweda N. J. Crime Justice 2020; 43(1): 110-124.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Midwestern Criminal Justice Association, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/0735648X.2019.1601585

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Many sexual assault victims are reluctant to report out of fear of mistreatment by police; others describe the experience of secondary victimization upon reporting. Yet, there is little attention in policy, practice, and research to how investigators are trained to interact with victims and effectively conduct sexual assault investigations. Only recently have sexual assault investigation procedures gained attention with newly enacted legislation to improve the police response to victims; however, the perceived helpfulness of such training is unknown. The present study offers a description of the state of training for sexual assault investigators across Illinois, including the training investigators receive, how beneficial investigators perceive this training to be, and what investigators prioritize as necessary to improve sexual assault investigations. Qualitative and quantitative data reveal investigators' priorities for training to improve investigations. Implications for future research and training practices are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

law enforcement; police; policing; Sexual assault; victimization