Citation

Ballucci D, Drakes K. Vict. Offender 2021; 16(1): 81-98.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2020.1766613

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Justice for sex crimes is particularly complex due to the differences between victim needs and the operations of the criminal justice system. This study, using 70 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus groups from Canadian police departments, shows that Canadian police officers use characteristics from both procedural and distributive concepts of justice when responding and dealing with victims of sex crimes. We show that building trust, inclusion in the process, and upholding individual treatment needs are compelling components of police response that garner victim agency and satisfaction. As a result, victims are more satisfied with the process and outcomes of their cases, and through reconstructing success, so are police officers. Our discussion of a pluralistic approach captures how police officers justify and negotiate distributive and procedural justice in their responses to sex crime victims. Unlike research that focuses on the adverse treatment of victims, this paper finds promising changes in Canadian police officers' conceptualization of justice for victims.

Language: en

Keywords

Policing/law enforcement; procedural justice; sex offenders