Prosecuting sexual assault: A comparison of charging decisions in sexual assault cases involving strangers, acquaintances, and intimate partners
Prosecuting sexual assault: A comparison of charging decisions in sexual assault cases involving strangers, acquaintances, and intimate partners
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起诉性侵犯：涉及陌生人、熟人和亲密伴侣的性侵犯案件中指控决定的比较
DOI：
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发表时间：
2001
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
David Holleran
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
C. Spohn;David Holleran
在这项针对性侵犯案件中检察官指控决定的研究中，我们检验了这样一个假设：受害者特征的影响取决于受害者与嫌疑人之间的关系。我们将受害人/嫌疑人关系归类为涉及陌生人、熟人/亲戚或亲密伴侣的关系，并研究受害人、嫌疑人和案件特征对每一类案件中指控决定的影响。我们的分析结果表明，除一项例外外，受害人特征的影响仅限于涉及熟人和亲密伴侣的案件。在此类案件中，如果对事件发生时受害者的性格或行为存在疑问，检察官提出指控的可能性较小。相比之下，在涉及陌生人的案件中，受害人的声誉和行为并不影响指控；在这类案件中，如果嫌疑人使用枪或刀或者受害者是白人，检察官更有可能提出指控。我们的结论是，至少在某些类型的性侵犯案件中，“真正的强奸”和“真正的受害者”的刻板印象继续影响着指控决定。
In this study of prosecutors' charging decisions in sexual assault cases, we test the hypothesis that the effect of victim characteristics is conditioned by the relationship between the victim and the suspect. We categorize the victim/suspect relationship as one involving strangers, acquaintances/relatives, or intimate partners, and we examine the effect of victim, suspect, and case characteristics on charging decisions in each type of case. The results of our analysis reveal that the effect of victim characteristics, with one exception, is confined to cases involving acquaintances and intimate partners. In these types of cases, prosecutors were less likely to file charges if there were questions about the victim's character or behavior at the time of the incident. In contrast, the victim's reputation and behavior did not affect charging in cases involving strangers; in those types of cases, prosecutors were more likely to file charges if the suspect used a gun or knife or if the victim was white. We conclude that stereotypes of “real rapes” and “genuine victims” continue to influence the charging decision in at least some types of sexual assault cases.