What can we do to ENCOURAGE rape survivors to report the assault?

Question

I have never forcibly taken a survivor to the police or the hospital for treatment (I hope I never have to). I understand that it is the victim's decision on how to handle the aftermath of an attack.

It is estimated that anywhere from 50% to 60% of all rapes go unreported (possibly even higher) for a variety of reasons, including:

fear of not being believed

fear of retribution from the criminal

shame or embarrassment over the event

not wanting to relive the crime during the statement

pretend that it didn't really happen

As well as others.

I also realize that a frighteningly LOW percentage of reported rapes (assuming that they are not fabricated) ever result in an arrest.

Lower still is the percentage that result in a prosecution.

Even lower is the percentage that result in a conviction.

And yet lower is the percentage that result in prison time.

All in all, it is estimated that only 1 out of 16 rapes ends with the rapist spending a single day in prison. And yet, I still believe that even though reporting an assault may not help YOU see some justice, it might help build a case due to common reports.

So what can be done to help survivors report a rape to law enforcement?

Answer 1

I agree with Thing 5550. The judicial process that is historically and currently employed worldwide in cases of rape and sexual assault, operates on the basis that justice is served if the rape victim/survivor can prove her/his innocence with relation to the crime.

In the West, we operate under the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. This is so, for the accused. Not so much for the victim/survivor. She has to expect prolonged questioning in the form of a character assassination on the stand, in front of the accused, if she dared to walk home after a couple of drinks prior to her  rape.

What kind of a justice system is that? Why doesn't the man who got mugged in the same street an hour before, have to prove his innocence in a court Hearing after daring to walk alone with an expensive leather briefcase? Was he asked what he did prior to being mugged? Was he asked why he chose to wear an Italian suit at the time of his mugging? No.

I think it's important that we consider the consequences for yet again blaming and showing disapproval to a rape victim/survivor for choosing not to report. She shouldn't have to be made responsible for fixing the legal system by reporting when the system is so problematic.

What can we do to help survivors report rape? Write to editors of magazines about the current system, and the injustice it causes. Write blogs; Write to the government highlighting why the current system is so ineffectual. Support whatever decision the victim/survivor makes. And don't go making claims (like some have made here) that women lie about rape. If we were to believe what many MRA's said, we'd think that most women and children lied.  The irony of those responses in THIS question is quite amazing. Unbelievable.

Answer 2

"""It is estimated that anywhere from 50% to 60% of all rapes go unreported (possibly even higher):"""

I'd like to know where they get that number from.  How the h**l can they possibly know for sure that there are a high number of unreported rapes?  Just because the number of reported rapes are low/small doesn't automatically mean that there are a high number of unreported rapes.  Maybe the main reason why the number of rapes reported are so low is because the number of rapes are actually decreasing; that, or maybe the number of false allegation of rape are actually increasing..

Furthermore, rape victims(especially female one) are very encouraged to report rape, and are very supported when they do so. Plus, women who report rape are often taken at their word; we've seen stories in the news about the accused being arrested first and ask questions later.

Answer 3

As society, stop makin all s*x related things seem so explicit or inappropriate.  

Answer 4

I think the problem is the nature of the crime itself. No matter how sensitively the situation is handled, the victim has to relive what happened every time they retell what happened. They have been violated on a deeply personal level and they have to retell their ordeal to strangers. Not only is it painful, but also humiliating. And while they are doing all of this reliving and retelling, they know that most likely there will be no justice anyway. I really have no idea how you overcome that.  

Answer 5

Well, it's like you said, "fear of not being believed

fear of retribution from the criminal

shame or embarrassment over the event

not wanting to relive the crime during the statement

pretend that it didn't really happen"

If you were raped, you probably wouldn't want to bother going to speak to someone who was asking you horrific and irrelevant questions ("Hmm...what were you wearing, again?"), or who basically tried to blame you.

I'm not sure what could be done.  You could encourage them to do it, not just for themselves, but for anyone else who could potentially be victimized by the person that raped them.

Answer 6

More female police officers who are specially trained to handle such cases.  These officers should give talks at high schools and at colleges and universities. More public education.

Answer 7

In order to increase the percentage of rapes that are reported I believe that the stigma that attaches to the victims of the crime needs to somehow be dealt with by our society.  Unfortunately, many have attitudes toward rape are quite unsophisticated and that just don't take it seriously.  

I was raped by a stranger four years ago and about 6 hours after it happened I called my mom and told her about it and she in turn called the police.  Although family and friends have been great and supportive when I needed it most, over the past four years I have also heard it all from other people when it comes to plain old dumb c**p.  I imagine that it is even more difficult in some ways for those that were raped by acquaintances where it very often comes down to ones word against the word of the another.  In addition, there are rapes that happen within families.  That type of an assault often is very difficult for the victim to report because of the emotional toll it takes on them.

Perhaps what is needed is some kind of public service announcement and advertising campaign that urges victims of sexual assault to go to the police, that emphasizes that the police are on your side and that you will be believed.  Maybe that can help change the perception that no one will care that victims often harbor?

In my case, law enforcement mostly treated me well with only one exception, but when I was raped I was in a large city and they usually have police that are well trained.  I have heard from other women that I know that were victims that smaller towns and small cities sometimes don't have the proper resources devoted to dealing with victims of sexual assault and so the victims are sometimes not dealt with in a sensitive manner.  So that is another avenue that needs to be pursued so that victims aren't intimidated by fear of the people that are supposed to help them.

Answer 8

Unless the person wanted to, I would actually never push the idea of reporting to the police because when you do so it starts a ball rolling that is often devastating to the life of the victim.

Yes, go to the doc, get checked out, get samples taken, get the morning after pill if necessary, and definitely seek counselling, seek support, and go to a rape crisis centre.

These are places and people who will actually help and support the victim, and put the victim first.

But I've known and known of many women and several guys who have been treated very badly by the criminal justice system, and unless you are a very strong person it can break your life.

Go to a rape crisis centre. speak to a rape crisis line, whatever, but the cops? Maybe if the system was better and the defendant was given as much respect and trust as someone reporting a burglary.

Until then, the figures will stay low.

I agree it's terrible and makes it easier for the perps, but I also find it *completely* understandable.

Those victims who do come forward and go through the process, I have total respect for, they are strong and courageous people and I would be totally willing to support them in any way.

But I would *never* blame someone for not wanting to do the same.

Best wishes :-)

Answer 9

I think that Max Cady's answer is really complete and addresses the important issues. I agree with what he wrote and think that society needs to ensure that victims of rape whether male or female get the support they need afterward while the perpetrators need to be caught and if possible removed from society permanently.

Answer 10

When I was raped by a stranger in a parking lot, the police came to get my statement. They had to take me to the hospital to get my statement and I was put in the BACK of the police car. Although I wasn't handcuffed, I felt incredibly shamed.

Most of the time these guys don't spend much time in prison even if convicted. I mean, we've seen what happens to those who rape and molest children right? A little time maybe in the slammer, community service and then back out to do more. Sure they register, but there are so many it's hard to keep up with.

I guess my point is that s*x crimes in general don't seem to get justice where the victim is concerned. We're made to feel like it's our fault, and we're pushed through the system that's not really set up to protect us as much as it protects the criminal.

I'm not telling anyone NOT to report it, just that it is an uphill battle if you want anything done, and to be honest - it never seems like enough is. You have to traumatize yourself further by feeling pressure (as I was) to put someone in jail who DIDN'T do it. I wasn't believed when I went to a line up when I said the guy who did this wasn't in their line up, and the detectives were obviously frustrated with me. I wasn't going to put a guy in jail that didn't hurt me!

Report it - always report it. Maybe I just wasn't strong enough to see it through like some people are.

Answer 11

We need to completely overhaul not just the criminal justice system but also our social mores with respect to rape.

Answer 12

i was raped, yet i never reported it cause as you said, i wanted to pretend it never happened, i wasn't hurt physically and more importantly i thought was that i'd survived and i should moved on, mostly i felt shocked and mostly avoided reality for the time that followed, i would have died of embarrassment if anyone had known. besides i' had destroyed do many lives had i reported it cause it was no stranger to me who did it...his family and mine would had suffered so much so i carried all the pain, and shoved it some where in the dept of my mind.

But it surfaced and i felt it burning down my veins! i never dealt with it.

i had post traumatic stress that came to me with a vengeance and to many thoughts of suicide.

i guess you have to deal with emotions first, then the phisicall pai and the dela with justice and hope it gets serve.