annotated bibliography of new zealand research into family violence

Topic Areas: Sexual assault/rape, Women, Victims/survivors, Justice, Legislation, Culturalfactors, Gender, Prevention/intervention/treatmentAbstract: This thesis comprises of a series of studies aimed at elucidating understanding ofthe ways in which the belief that women lie about rape affects police officers’ responses towomen who report rape. The author begins by examining the historical context within whichrape came to be defined as a crime, and considers the impact of dominant assumptionsregarding the ‘nature’ of women on the formation of rape laws. Factors affecting criminaljustice system responses to women who report rape are identified, considering in particularthe ways in which these have been influenced by views of women’s inherent deceitfulness.Having established ideological and socio-political framework, attention then shifts to aconsideration of rape in contemporary New Zealand. The views of rape complainantsregarding their experiences of reporting rape and sexual assault to police are presented,highlighting the centrality of ‘being believed’. Quantitative and qualitative data are presentedfrom an analysis of police sexual assault investigation files and are used to highlight thefactors affecting police officers’ perceptions of complainants’ credibility. The file analysis iscomplemented by material derived from interviews with sexual assault investigators, whichexplores further the issues of allegedly false rape complaints. The final study presenteddocuments the experiences of a group of rape victims who largely conform to the policestereotype of the ‘perfect victim’. In this chapter, women who were attacked by serial rapistMalcolm Rewa reflect on the ways in which they were treated by the police. Their accountsare useful in highlighting the potential for positive police-complainant relationships when theissue of the victim’s credibility is not the dominant concern.Taken together, these studies provide a series of different perspectives on police responses toreports of rape. The results indicate that concerns about the victim’s credibility continue todominate reporting procedures, and that negative stereotypes concerning lying, vengefulwomen remain influential. Recent attempts by the police to improve women’s experiences ofrape investigations are acknowledged, but the overall conclusion suggests that the scope forpositive change will remain limited while such negative stereotypes prevail.Source: Author’s abstractJordan, J. (2004). The word of a woman?: Police, rape, and belief. Houndmills, Basingstoke, UK:Palgrave Macmillan.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13326.pubTopic Areas: Sexual assault/rape, Women, Victims/survivors, Justice, Cultural factors,Gender, PolicyAbstract: This book presents the results of a study investigating police and justice responseto women who claim to have been raped. The author begins by discussing the historicalideologies around women and rape, and how these, coupled with a male-dominated culturewithin the police, have affected the response to rape claims. The author then presents thefindings of an examination of police files and interviews with police detectives, which givesinsight into police decision-making and the methods police officers use in determiningwhether the woman is credible or not. Next, interviews with women who have reported orattempted to report a sexual assault to the police are discussed. Lastly, the author highlightsthe problems with the current response to sexual assault claims and makes a number ofrecommendations, such as better training for police, having staff debriefings for police,delaying statement-taking so victims have a chance to clear their heads, and providing moreeducation for police around rape and sexual assault so officers have a better understanding ofwhat they are dealing with.92