This study seeks to better understand if and how responding officers' written reports in rape case impact how those cases proceed (or fail to proceed) in the criminal justice process. Signaling is defined as information conveyed by responding officers in the narratives of police reports regarding a victim's creditability. Specifically, we aim to identify signaling in narratives of police officers’ rape reports that affect subsequent attrition. We specifically focus on examining the first step in the investigative process to elucidate facilitators and barriers to rape cases reaching a successful disposition.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2018-VA-CX-0002, awarded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP). Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.

Disclaimer: This project focuses on sexual violence and may be triggering for some.