Publications by Justice and Gender Based Violence Research Initiative - �ǿ��

Longitudinal predictors of children's self-blame appraisals among military families reported for family violence

2024-01-23T14:08:12-05:00

This study examines the stability and longitudinal predictors of children's self-blame appraisals among a sample of children reported for family violence.

Children aged 7 to 17 years old were recruited as part of a longitudinal assessment of families referred to the U.S. Navy's Family Advocacy Program due to allegations of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, or intimate partner violence. The children completed assessments of self-blame at three time points, and baseline measures of their victimization experience, caregiver-child conflict, and depression.

Victimization that involved injury, the number of perpetrators, the number of victimization types, caregiver-child conflict, and depression were each positively associated with baseline self-blame. The results indicated only caregiver-child conflict and baseline depression predicted increases in self-blame.

These findings suggest clinicians and researchers may consider assessment of victimization characteristics, caregiver-child relationships, and depression symptoms to identify children most at risk for developing self-blame appraisals.

Rape and sexual assault

2023-10-02T12:11:10-04:00

This book chapter focuses on sexual assaults that involve completed or attempted physical contacts against an adult, focusing primarily on female victims. National studies of victimization are relied upon to examine the incidence and prevalence of rape in the United States, and the authors also take an in-depth look at rape in the military, prison, and in the intersections of gender and race. Definition issues, rape myths, the causes of rape, and society’s response to rape and rapists are discussed.

Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse: Challenges in Achieving Justice

2022-04-22T12:32:15-04:00

Dr. Williams, Dr. Block, and their colleagues developed this white paper, Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse: Challenges in Achieving Justice, based on their study funded by the National Institute of Justice. The study analyzed 500 reports of child sexual abuse (CSA) to examine predictors of which cases moved forward to prosecution. It looked at the response to reports of CSA and the characteristics of cases that dropped out of the criminal justice system along the way.

Of the reports of CSA the researchers reviewed that involved perpetrators 16 and older, 50% stalled at the investigation stage, fewer than 25% were prosecuted, and only 14% resulted in a determination of guilt. The researchers identified many of the obstacles that prosecutors, child victims and their caregivers, and child advocates face in responding to these cases.

The white paper delves into these obstacles and makes actionable recommendations for achieving justice for all involved and for strengthening the safety of communities. It was written with input from many in the field, including prosecutors, child advocates, social workers, and pediatricians.

As the white paper concludes, addressing the challenges documented by this research and finding and evaluating solutions will require the continued work of the justice system and the community. Sustainable change will also require education and a shift in beliefs and social norms so that the occurrence of CSA is recognized, and community members are able to participate in protection and prevention efforts.

Suggested Citation:

Williams, L.M., Block, S.D., Johnson, H.M., Ramsey, M.G., and Winstead, A.P. (2022, April). Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse: Challenges in Achieving Justice. Wellesley, MA: �ǿ��. wcwonline.org/jgbvr

This publication was funded in part by a Writing and Dissemination Award from the �ǿ��. The study was supported by Award No. 2014-MU-MU-0001 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice to the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Justice.

Predictors of Prosecutorial Decisions in Reports of Child Sexual Abuse

2022-03-16T10:48:52-04:00

This study retrospectively examined 500 child sexual abuse reports to prosecutor's offices, analyzing case progress and predictors of attrition, including details about alleged perpetrator(s), victim(s), their families, and other case characteristics. The researchers found that less than one in five cases proceeded to prosecution.

The researchers describe all outcomes of the reports in the sample and differentiate prosecutors' decisions to (a) intake/close, (b) investigate/close, or (c) prosecute. Because it is important to understand which variables are associated with progress to each stage, they examined unique predictors of the decisions to investigate and to prosecute. Caregiver support and perpetrator age were significant predictors across all outcome variables, while other factors were barriers only to the decision to prosecute.

These results highlight the complexities of case characteristics that are important at different stages of prosecutorial decision-making and can inform future interventions.

This study was supported by Award No. 2014-MU-MU-0001 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Pathways to Sexual Assault Case Attrition: Culture, Context, and Case Clearance

2021-10-06T12:15:06-04:00

Sexual assault case attrition research has been consistent in documenting that sexual assault complaints fall out of the system at disturbing rates.

In this article, the researchers describe a pathway to attrition where managerial concerns incentivize case processing outcomes that remove cases early in the system and create a decision-making context where adherence to rape myths provides rationalizations for closing cases.

Using data on sexual assault incidents reported to the police, the researchers present a quantitative analysis that investigates such a pathway to attrition, and that considers how police and prosecutors work together at the pre-arrest stage and the extent to which this practice facilitates the use of exceptional clearance police classification to close sexual assault investigations.

Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: Website Checklist

2020-07-16T14:37:59-04:00

Sexual violence, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and stalking are widespread on today's college campuses. In the U.S., as many as one in four women and one in 16 men experience sexual assault during their college career.

A primary resource for students who experience sexual violence is the institution's website. A high-quality website can provide victims, those accused, and those working to support them with the information they need to make important decisions about reporting, self-care, and participation in any investigative or adjudicatory process.

This website checklist from the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the �ǿ�� is meant to aid institutions in designing and maintaining user-friendly website content related to the prevention of and response to sexual violence. The information in this guide grew out of a research project funded by the National Institute of Justice that involved the review of 969 college and university websites to explore how colleges currently respond to sexual assault allegations.

The document is comprised of three parts:

Part One: Website design guidelines for website information related to sexual violence and the institution's prevention and response efforts
Part Two: Semester review guidelines for regular maintenance of the website
Part Three: Website checklist to outline what information should be included on the website

Citation: Cares, A.C., Williams, L.M., & Frederick, M.E. (June, 2020). Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: Website Checklist. �ǿ��. �ǿ��, Wellesley, MA

Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: Presentation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Campus Sexual Assault and Interagency Working Group

2020-06-24T14:25:46-04:00

In 2020, researchers from the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the �ǿ�� presented gave a presentation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Campus Sexual Assault and Interagency Working Group. The presentation summarized a study funded by the National Institute of Justice, Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: A National Assessment and Systematic Classification of the Scope and Challenges for Investigation and Adjudication.

The PowerPoint slides from the presentation review the problem of sexual assault on campus, Title IX requirements, and why schools handle reports of sexual assault on their campuses. The slides also review the methodology and key findings from the study. The slides highlight the importance of posting accurate, up-to-date information about sexual assault resources on a college or university website and offer recommendations on website best practices.

Citation: Williams, L.M., Cares, A.C., & Frederick, M.E.. (June 24, 2020). Responding To Sexual Assault on Campus: A National Assessment and Systematic Classification of the Scope and Challenges for Investigation and Adjudication. Presentation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Campus Sexual Assault and Interagency Working Group.

Responding To Sexual Assault on Campus: A National Assessment and Systematic Classification of the Scope and Challenges for Investigation and Adjudication

2020-05-28T09:57:09-04:00

In January 2016, the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative at the �ǿ�� began a study funded by the National Institute of Justice to better understand how colleges and universities handle the investigation, adjudication, and sanctioning of sexual assaults. In this final report, the research team reviews their findings and implications for the research.

In the report, they wrote, "We found that there is no one model associated with [institutes of higher education] of a certain size, geographic location, or sector (public, private or religiously affiliated). Instead we found extreme variation in the information made available to the public (and to the students) on the [college and university] websites and in the approaches to investigation and adjudication described by the Title IX coordinators interviewed."

Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: A Report on Findings from an Assessment of Challenges of and Approaches to Investigation, Adjudication, and Sanctioning at U.S. Colleges and Universities

2020-05-07T11:17:00-04:00

Title IX requires educational institutions in the U.S. to provide students with an education free from sex-based discrimination, which includes sexual assault and harassment. However, there are many different ways that colleges and universities approach this duty. In January 2016, a research team at the �ǿ�� began a study funded by the National Institute of Justice to better understand how colleges and universities handle the investigation, adjudication, and sanctioning of sexual assaults. This summary overview highlights key findings from that study, Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: A National Assessment and Systematic Classification of the Scope and Challenges for Investigation and Adjudication.

The research team gathered data from a national sample of 969 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. They then interviewed Title IX coordinators and other key informants from 47 institutions. The team identified a wide variety of individual approaches and programs at these many institutions, which address the challenges of responding to sexual assault in different ways. The diversity of responses may also reflect the ever-changing landscape of Title IX, driven by changes in federal guidance and policies, state laws and policies, and the impact of civil suits and judicial guidance emerging from these cases.

Citation: Williams, L.W., Pattavina, A., Cares, A.C., & Stein, N.D. (2020). Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: A Report on Findings from an Assessment of Challenges of and Approaches to Investigation, Adjudication, and Sanctioning at U.S. Colleges and Universities. Summary Overview. �ǿ��. �ǿ��, Wellesley, MA.

Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress or Burnout?: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Investigating Sexual Assault Cases on Detectives

2021-02-03T11:22:39-05:00

Police officers are exposed to a wide variety of stressors—frequently interacting with people at their worst moments and sometimes absorbing the trauma that victims experience themselves. Investigating sexual assaults presents significant challenges given the often high levels of distress experienced by victims, paired with the likelihood that no arrest will be made and the low conviction rates. Little research explores the impact this investigatory work has on the detectives who are assigned to these cases.

In this study, Dr. Morabito, Dr. Pattavina, and Dr. Williams used interviews conducted with 42 sexual assault detectives across six jurisdictions to understand the effects on them of investigating crimes of sexual violence. Specifically, the researchers explored the detectives’ experiences within the context of burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

They found clear incidence of emotional symptoms among sexual assault investigators. During the course of interviews about their decision-making, the detectives—unprompted by the researchers—manifested symptoms of trauma resulting from their assigned caseloads. The researchers detailed a plan for future research to better pinpoint how and when these symptoms arise and interventions that may address their effects.

Publications by Justice and Gender Based Violence Research Initiative - �ǿ�����