Sexual Assault is a very huge issue in the criminal justice system for a few reasons, one being that it is continuously happening, two it is the most underreported criminal activity, and three when one has been sexually violated it is difficult for them to open up and talk about it. One in every six women are victims of sexual assault, that number moves to one and ever four women when it is in a college setting. College campuses are the most common place for sexual abuse, I believe the reason behind that is due to dorm living and the extremely close quarters people are living in. Sexual assault cases are very hard to solve that can be due to the lack of conclusive evidence. Once someone is sexually assaulted, the first thing they are going to want to do is get cleaned up, or wash themselves because they feel gross. The only problem with this is when they clean themselves they are washing away the most conclusive evidence there is, DNA. When someone is sexually assaulted the DNA of the offender can be found anywhere on the body of the victim that the offender touched or assaulted. Another reason that these cases go unsolved is because these stories are very personal and private to the victim, sometimes even embarrassing, this makes these subjects very hard to talk about. The biggest thing for a police officer or an investigator is to give the victim time, and always be compassionate because they have been through a lot. When interviewing these victims police officers need to be 1) professional, 2) objective, and 3) respectful, this is a big part of making the victim feel comfortable sharing their story. While they are sharing their stories and appropriate and relevant questions, once they get talking do not get them off subject or make them repeat themselves this could affect the story or the victim more. All in all, sexual abuse cases are all about helping the victim get through the rough time and trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible. -LW456
When talking about the topic of sex-related crimes you have to be careful because it is a sensitive subject but at the same time we have to break the stigma around it. The video told us that only 27% of cases are reported even though ⅙ women are victimized. It happens all around us every day and it’s the least reported crime. A lot of the problem rests with society and the way we view the victims of sex-related crimes, but we also have to change the way we interview the victims. Many victims feel that they are victimized twice because of the way the police treats them. We need to be patient, it’s probably one of the hardest things they have ever gone through, maybe resulting in them having PTSD, and we have to realize that it’s going to take a long time to tell their story. I think the video had a lot of good information about what to do and what not to do during an interview. I think establishing a safe environment and being respectful is one is the most important rules that the video talked about. Without a safe environment, the victim feels uneasy and it'll be harder for them to tell the police their story. Being respectful to the victim lets them know bad you're there to help them and make them feel comfortable and you're not there to make fun of them ridicule them Another thing we have to watch out for it not blaming the victim. A lot of the time the victim gets blamed for what she or he is wearing or where they were. That needs to not happen. I feel that that is a reason women and men don’t come out. They are afraid of being blamed or even being called weak. I think the video had a lot of really good information to offer about how to really investigate a sexual assault. sun456
Sexual assault is very prevalent in today’s society. It affects one in every six American’s. Many are scared to report that they have been sexually assaulted. Roughly thirty-seven percent will report that they have been sexually assaulted. One in five college students will be sexually assaulted. Majority of the victims are females, but men can also be victims as well. Many do not report being sexually assaulted, because they think that law enforcement will not believe them. It is hard to prosecute a sexual assault case due to lack of conclusive evidence. Many women will shower after the encounter, and some perpetrators will make them shower, so that the evidence that that the perpetrator leaves will be washed away. Secondly, the evidence that was collected can be compromised. This means that the evidence was contaminated or there was not enough evidence to begin with. There are many difficulties that we have as detectives when it comes to sexual assault cases. First is the nature of the crime. These types of crimes are very sensitive and private subjects. There is always the problem with the victim who delays in reporting the crime. This is when evidence is lost. The best time to report the crime is immediately, right after it happens. Law enforcement has a preconceived attitude towards the victim. The detective has to try and figure out whether the crime happened or not, or whether the victim is simply trying to get back at their ex. During the interview the detective must establish a safe environment for the victim, so that the victim can open up. When a safe place is not established, the victim feels as though they are being re-victimized, and then the victim will not trust law enforcement and will ultimately shut down. During an interview the detectives must always ask appropriate questions, be objective, and respectful to the victims. It definitely is hard for a female victim to open up to a male detective, and that is why the male detective must have compassion and a better understanding when interviewing a female victim. Illinigurl456
When discussing the subject of sex-related wrongdoings you must be cautious since it is a delicate subject and yet we need to break the disgrace around it. The video disclosed to us that solitary 27% of cases are accounted for despite the fact that ⅙ ladies are deceived. It happens surrounding us consistently and it's the least detailed wrongdoing. A ton of the issue rests with society and the manner in which we see the casualties of sex-related wrongdoings, however we likewise need to change the manner in which we meet the people in question. Numerous unfortunate casualties feel that they are misled twice on account of the manner in which the police treat them. At the point when somebody is explicitly ambushed the DNA of the guilty party can be found anyplace on the body of the injured individual that the wrongdoer contacted or attacked. One explanation that these cases go unsolved is that these accounts are extremely close to home and private to the person in question, in some cases in any event, humiliating, this makes these subjects exceptionally difficult to discuss. The greatest thing for a cop or a specialist is to give the unfortunate casualty time, and consistently be humane on the grounds that they have experienced a ton. During the meeting the analyst must set up a protected domain for the person in question, so the injured individual can open up. At the point when a protected spot isn't built up, the unfortunate casualty feels just as they are being re-exploited, and afterward the injured individual won't trust law authorization and will eventually close down. During a meeting the criminologists should consistently pose proper inquiries, be target, and aware to the people in question. It unquestionably is difficult for a female unfortunate casualty to open up to a male investigator, and that is the reason the male analyst must have sympathy and a superior understanding while meeting a female injured individual. -smiley456
This video was shocking and really unnerving, not just for the topic of sexual assaults on their own. It’s how the people who have gone through them are treated by the police and the investigators, making them feel victimized. I can see why now only 26% of rapes are reported to the police. There is the possible threat of hard from the attacker, they victim probably won’t want to talk about it, and the issues during the investigation. One of the things that got to me during the video was the lack of evidence that these rape cases can generate. Solving any crime is not an easy task, but rape cases seem like a different animal entirely. The lack of evidence, the private nature of the crime, and the delay of the crime being reported can be some of the main difficulties of the crime. The main dynamic of getting a good case from the victim is to create a safe and nurturing environment. This is to make the victim feel safe and more comfortable to talk to the investigator. To achieve this and get a solid case from both parties, the investigator must act in a professional manner, be open minded, and treat both parties with respect. This will make the investigation go a lot smoother and help get the details and confessions down and with as much accuracy as possible. Being rude to the victim or even the suspect won’t do anyone any good and will skew the investigation. The story of that rape victim and her experience with the police really gives you a notion of how hard it is to tackle these cases. The way she described being treated really hit me hard. This is why we need to encourage people to be more compassionate and supportive of rape victims and to push for law enforcement to treat them with the upmost respect and dignity, the exact opposite of the treatment they had during their assault. -OUTATIME456
This video really brought many issues that we read about to life. One issue that stood out the most from all the others was re-victimization of a sexual assault victim. The individual in the video explained it herself when she was talking about how the first officer she came into contact with had listened and made her feel safe, but the second did not. This is a very real issue that we all must be aware of when we enter our careers because of all of the situations we come in contact with can make us less sensitive to more touchy situations. Emotions can be very high for a male or female who had just been sexually assaulted and any individual who handles the situation has to turn off all of the warrior mindset and become 100 perfect guardian in order to maintain a positive contact with the individual because he or she may not want to speak up and reveal any information if they do not feel comfortable discussing that information with a detective or officer. The three steps explained in this video was that the investigator needs to be professional, objective, and respectful during the investigation. The importance of this is also to maintain a certain comfort level that makes the victim feel safe. Re-victimization is a very large issue when officers deal with sensitive cases but once the officer is going after the suspect the guardian mindset should be removed in order to maintain control of the suspect. One other thing that was spoken about in this video is the treatment of the offender. Most will confess fairly easily to the crime but you also have to create the environment in which that suspect will be more willing to open up and speak about the incident. Blues456
It is worth noting that, because of the sheer prevalence of sexual assault, especially of women on college campuses, any mention of the subject should be professional, open minded, and respectful; as the video mentioned. Sexual assault is the most personal violation that someone can experience, making it not only extremely difficult to discuss, but also resulting in it being the most under-reported violent crime. Not only is their stigma and trauma preventing an individual from seeking help, but many people are aware of the statistics, and that most people who commit sexually violent crimes will never spend a day in jail. There is very little physical evidence of sexual crimes, especially if there is delay in reporting. This already provides so much difficulty to the case, but it’s often much harder to prove consent (or lack thereof) in a courtroom. It is worth being aware of these staggering numbers at all times, especially when interviewing younger adult women, since a proportion of individuals we deal with on a daily basis could have been victims of a sexual assault previously. Professionalism and compassion should be exercised with any crime, but any questions regarding partners and/or sexual encounters should be conducted with the utmost care. Speaking of the personal trauma experienced by victims, I truly appreciated the video’s definition of trauma: a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Not only is this a reminder that victim blaming has no place in this field, but also that this is a tragic event with long term emotional consequences. There are no textbook reactions that someone should exhibit when they have been assaulted. Therefore, we must be open minded to a wide variety of reactions. We cannot dismiss anyone’s validity because their emotions and actions display differently than what we would expect. -Gatsby456
This video is about the challenges of investigating sexual assault and how investigators deal with victims. Sexual Assault is the most personally violating crime besides murder. It is surprising to hear that men from colleges and pristine universities have admitted to the legal definition of rape. When someone is sexually assaulted they are traumatized not just physically but mentally. It is an event that takes a large toll on your brain and can be emotionally draining. After someone is sexually assaulted there is a counseling session that happens to see how the victim is doing which can be difficult for them to talk about. Their emotions can be all over the place and it can be hard for them to remember certain things about the situation. The steps taken after someone has reported a sexual assault crime are very important because time could already be lost if that person has waited to say anything. Most of the time when this crime happens to someone the first thing they want to do is shower. They want to wash off what that person did to them but when doing that they are washing off all of the evidence that could help find that person. This video also talks about how police investigators go about when investigating cases like this. Some investigators know how to talk to and comfort the victim while others do not know how to because they are not using the right mindset. Some investigators will give off a vibe that they don’t care what happened, that they think you are lying about it, and just plain out won’t listen to what you have to say. That is something that needs to change within this system. People are scared to speak up about their situations because they have this thought that officers won’t believe them. The girl in the video even says that the first officer that talked to her was very kind and sincere, but when she talked to the investigator they acted like she was making the whole thing up. When you are investigating sexual assault cases you need to have a mindset more with gaurdian than warrior. -hl456
In order to get more convictions in rape and sexual assault cases, officers must get in touch with their empathetic side skillfully. In the video it was stated that the victim feels violated two times, once by the perpetrator and once again with the line of questioning by the responding officer. If a field of trust and haven can be created more victims would come forward against their attacker or abuser. Most times people will not come forward because they feel like nothing is going to be done about it and their only chance to escape the situation could be compromised. A heavy emphasis on caring needs to be implemented so a better testimony can be given. Also, the victim should be walked through every step of the investigative process delicately. First, an attempt needs to be made to calm the victim down, then they should be very carefully told that her hands are going to need to be bagged, and after that reassured that wherever the perp is they're going to be caught. A calmer response can be elicited if a calmer and caring demeanor can be established by the investigator. The victim is not always going to understand the process of the investigator, if at all. More flies are caught with honey than with vinegar in the questioning processes applied to these kinds of cases. HUBRIS456
As I was watching this video I came across a lot of great information. Did you know the most rapes occur on college campuses. That is simply because there are parties going on every weekend, which have lots of drinking and drugs. On most college campuses their are a few stations on the side walks that have emergency buttons and phone. I f you are getting sexual assalted and you cant get to your phone their is a easy way to call for help. Often times people are scared to report their sexual abuse. The people are raping college kids are the students aas well. 1 in 12 admit to acts which could be considered as rape or sexual assault. According to the video there are 26% of rapes reported. These people are not afraid to come foward. 70% of most victims know their assailant. These sexual predators are uncles, step fathers, and cousins who are invited into the home whillinging. Most victims dont report the sexual abuse. They are often scared, and sometimes embarrassed to come forward. In the video it stated that 1 in 6 women are reported being raped. Most of the time victims are scared to report the abuse. Your job as an investigator is to ensure the victim feels safe. Make sure you ask respectful questions. Be very professional questions. Be very objective. Asking appropriate question are also very important. For example, the lady in the video explained how she felt very uncomfortable, and felt like the police did nothing to help. Did you know that 85% of sexual predators are under 30 years old. There are more sexual assault crimes happening daily and someone should put a stop to it. -jas456
One in six women, one in four college students, one in eight victims raped. These are the numbers of victims who are sexually assaulted per person. These numbers are horrible and shouldn’t even exist, why are citizens sexually assaulting their fellow citizens? Not only are these victims being assaulted on college grounds but 70% of these victims know their offender and one in twelve males admitted to sexually assaulting someone and 76 of those offenders admitted to assaulting multiple women leading to about six women per offender.
These numbers are too high for anyone's liking but how are we supposed catch an offender when there is little to none evidence? Most victims shower after being sexually assaulted washing away the DNA, other victims don’t report the crime until later and there's no evidence at all, some male offenders done ejaculate resulting in no DNA left behind, other offenders don't penetrate the victim at all, or there are not witnesses besides the two parties involved. Even if there is evidence left behind and a victim comes forward some police officers are uncomfortable and don’t know where to begin.
Some helpful tips police officers could use when approaching a sexually harassed victim is: provide them with a safe environment, feel comfortable, make sure they know they are not at fault, be professional, be objected and open minded, and most of all; be respectful. Do not ask irrelevant questions.
When investigating the crime scene police need to look for extremely specific things such as: are there child magazines around?, unusual substances?, inappropriate pictures of children or anyone in general?, or bondage? Officers also need to dig into the history of the offender and look for things such as: have they commited a crime like this before?, are they on any registered sites?, or have they committed any crime at all before? The police should also look for witnesses and ask the question: “why are they helping?”
This video was extremely informational and helpful to police officers and even victims. tumble456
Most victims do shower after being offended because they feel gross and are traumatized. I agree with you that this video was very helpful to get information out to the victims and to police officers. I think people should be educated more on this topic to help prevent this crime from happening. - softball456
I think that this video was very beneficial and taught me a lot. It is crazy to think how many people get sexually assaulted every year, reported and unreported. Sexual assault is the most common personal violation there is and people need to be more aware of it. Women specially in college are the ones who experience this traumatic experience the most. 37% of rapes are all reported according to the video. In college 1 in 4 women reported sexual assault. 1 in 8 women were raped and 1 in 12 men admitted to the crime. If you look at those statistics you would think that is low. But most of them are not reported. I like how this video explains how to talk to a victim. You should be professional and ask appropriate questions. You should be objective and be respectful. You should NOT ask irrelevant questions. A lot of people who are sexually assaulted do not report it because they are embarrassed or they do not want to retell the story because it is so traumatizing. Being a police officer you need to show the person that was assaulted that you care and you want to help them. If you do not do that, they won't feel comfortable telling you what happened. Being objective is key. I think that this a very occurring problem and more people need to be educated on this topic. A lot of people are sexually assaulted by someone they know. It could be a family member or even a friend. In my opinion I think it would be good for people to be required to take a self defense class to prevent this crime from happening. -softball456
After watching this video, though it pertains to data from 2007, it made me even more nervous as a college female especially with hoping yo return to a larger university to finish my degree. The statistics showed that 1 in 6 women are sexual assault victims with 1 in 4 being women in college. Out of those sexual assaults, 1 in 8 were rape, and 1 in 12 college men admitted to committing sexual assault. These numbers are terrifying and I personally know of a sexual assault story from my first year at university. The girl invited a boy, whom she thought was a friend, into her dorm and he turned out to be more sadistic with his intentions. I do not know how the case was handled for sure, but I believe the boy was removed from the residential building and most likely the school. Going into the investigation part of that story, I am not sure how the girl was treated when quested and can only hope the investigators were compassionate and delicate about what had happened. There are a sad amount of victims that report being revictimized by the interview portion that the detective conducts. Detectives need to realize that this is an extremely difficult situation for anyone to handle and they already feel dirty and ashamed; a detective must be professional and respectful to the victim and show that they care and want to help. They should never show doubt in the victim’s story until more information comes forth. -Gamma456
Sexual Assault is a very huge issue in the criminal justice system for a few reasons, one being that it is continuously happening, two it is the most underreported criminal activity, and three when one has been sexually violated it is difficult for them to open up and talk about it. One in every six women are victims of sexual assault, that number moves to one and ever four women when it is in a college setting. College campuses are the most common place for sexual abuse, I believe the reason behind that is due to dorm living and the extremely close quarters people are living in. Sexual assault cases are very hard to solve that can be due to the lack of conclusive evidence. Once someone is sexually assaulted, the first thing they are going to want to do is get cleaned up, or wash themselves because they feel gross. The only problem with this is when they clean themselves they are washing away the most conclusive evidence there is, DNA. When someone is sexually assaulted the DNA of the offender can be found anywhere on the body of the victim that the offender touched or assaulted. Another reason that these cases go unsolved is because these stories are very personal and private to the victim, sometimes even embarrassing, this makes these subjects very hard to talk about. The biggest thing for a police officer or an investigator is to give the victim time, and always be compassionate because they have been through a lot. When interviewing these victims police officers need to be 1) professional, 2) objective, and 3) respectful, this is a big part of making the victim feel comfortable sharing their story. While they are sharing their stories and appropriate and relevant questions, once they get talking do not get them off subject or make them repeat themselves this could affect the story or the victim more. All in all, sexual abuse cases are all about helping the victim get through the rough time and trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible. -LW456
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about the topic of sex-related crimes you have to be careful because it is a sensitive subject but at the same time we have to break the stigma around it. The video told us that only 27% of cases are reported even though ⅙ women are victimized. It happens all around us every day and it’s the least reported crime. A lot of the problem rests with society and the way we view the victims of sex-related crimes, but we also have to change the way we interview the victims. Many victims feel that they are victimized twice because of the way the police treats them. We need to be patient, it’s probably one of the hardest things they have ever gone through, maybe resulting in them having PTSD, and we have to realize that it’s going to take a long time to tell their story. I think the video had a lot of good information about what to do and what not to do during an interview. I think establishing a safe environment and being respectful is one is the most important rules that the video talked about. Without a safe environment, the victim feels uneasy and it'll be harder for them to tell the police their story. Being respectful to the victim lets them know bad you're there to help them and make them feel comfortable and you're not there to make fun of them ridicule them
ReplyDeleteAnother thing we have to watch out for it not blaming the victim. A lot of the time the victim gets blamed for what she or he is wearing or where they were. That needs to not happen. I feel that that is a reason women and men don’t come out. They are afraid of being blamed or even being called weak. I think the video had a lot of really good information to offer about how to really investigate a sexual assault. sun456
Sexual assault is very prevalent in today’s society. It affects one in every six American’s. Many are scared to report that they have been sexually assaulted. Roughly thirty-seven percent will report that they have been sexually assaulted. One in five college students will be sexually assaulted. Majority of the victims are females, but men can also be victims as well. Many do not report being sexually assaulted, because they think that law enforcement will not believe them. It is hard to prosecute a sexual assault case due to lack of conclusive evidence. Many women will shower after the encounter, and some perpetrators will make them shower, so that the evidence that that the perpetrator leaves will be washed away. Secondly, the evidence that was collected can be compromised. This means that the evidence was contaminated or there was not enough evidence to begin with. There are many difficulties that we have as detectives when it comes to sexual assault cases. First is the nature of the crime. These types of crimes are very sensitive and private subjects. There is always the problem with the victim who delays in reporting the crime. This is when evidence is lost. The best time to report the crime is immediately, right after it happens. Law enforcement has a preconceived attitude towards the victim. The detective has to try and figure out whether the crime happened or not, or whether the victim is simply trying to get back at their ex. During the interview the detective must establish a safe environment for the victim, so that the victim can open up. When a safe place is not established, the victim feels as though they are being re-victimized, and then the victim will not trust law enforcement and will ultimately shut down. During an interview the detectives must always ask appropriate questions, be objective, and respectful to the victims. It definitely is hard for a female victim to open up to a male detective, and that is why the male detective must have compassion and a better understanding when interviewing a female victim. Illinigurl456
ReplyDeleteWhen discussing the subject of sex-related wrongdoings you must be cautious since it is a delicate subject and yet we need to break the disgrace around it. The video disclosed to us that solitary 27% of cases are accounted for despite the fact that ⅙ ladies are deceived. It happens surrounding us consistently and it's the least detailed wrongdoing. A ton of the issue rests with society and the manner in which we see the casualties of sex-related wrongdoings, however we likewise need to change the manner in which we meet the people in question. Numerous unfortunate casualties feel that they are misled twice on account of the manner in which the police treat them. At the point when somebody is explicitly ambushed the DNA of the guilty party can be found anyplace on the body of the injured individual that the wrongdoer contacted or attacked. One explanation that these cases go unsolved is that these accounts are extremely close to home and private to the person in question, in some cases in any event, humiliating, this makes these subjects exceptionally difficult to discuss. The greatest thing for a cop or a specialist is to give the unfortunate casualty time, and consistently be humane on the grounds that they have experienced a ton. During the meeting the analyst must set up a protected domain for the person in question, so the injured individual can open up. At the point when a protected spot isn't built up, the unfortunate casualty feels just as they are being re-exploited, and afterward the injured individual won't trust law authorization and will eventually close down. During a meeting the criminologists should consistently pose proper inquiries, be target, and aware to the people in question. It unquestionably is difficult for a female unfortunate casualty to open up to a male investigator, and that is the reason the male analyst must have sympathy and a superior understanding while meeting a female injured individual. -smiley456
ReplyDeleteThis video was shocking and really unnerving, not just for the topic of sexual assaults on their own. It’s how the people who have gone through them are treated by the police and the investigators, making them feel victimized. I can see why now only 26% of rapes are reported to the police. There is the possible threat of hard from the attacker, they victim probably won’t want to talk about it, and the issues during the investigation. One of the things that got to me during the video was the lack of evidence that these rape cases can generate. Solving any crime is not an easy task, but rape cases seem like a different animal entirely. The lack of evidence, the private nature of the crime, and the delay of the crime being reported can be some of the main difficulties of the crime. The main dynamic of getting a good case from the victim is to create a safe and nurturing environment. This is to make the victim feel safe and more comfortable to talk to the investigator. To achieve this and get a solid case from both parties, the investigator must act in a professional manner, be open minded, and treat both parties with respect. This will make the investigation go a lot smoother and help get the details and confessions down and with as much accuracy as possible. Being rude to the victim or even the suspect won’t do anyone any good and will skew the investigation. The story of that rape victim and her experience with the police really gives you a notion of how hard it is to tackle these cases. The way she described being treated really hit me hard. This is why we need to encourage people to be more compassionate and supportive of rape victims and to push for law enforcement to treat them with the upmost respect and dignity, the exact opposite of the treatment they had during their assault. -OUTATIME456
ReplyDeleteThis video really brought many issues that we read about to life. One issue that stood out the most from all the others was re-victimization of a sexual assault victim. The individual in the video explained it herself when she was talking about how the first officer she came into contact with had listened and made her feel safe, but the second did not. This is a very real issue that we all must be aware of when we enter our careers because of all of the situations we come in contact with can make us less sensitive to more touchy situations. Emotions can be very high for a male or female who had just been sexually assaulted and any individual who handles the situation has to turn off all of the warrior mindset and become 100 perfect guardian in order to maintain a positive contact with the individual because he or she may not want to speak up and reveal any information if they do not feel comfortable discussing that information with a detective or officer. The three steps explained in this video was that the investigator needs to be professional, objective, and respectful during the investigation. The importance of this is also to maintain a certain comfort level that makes the victim feel safe. Re-victimization is a very large issue when officers deal with sensitive cases but once the officer is going after the suspect the guardian mindset should be removed in order to maintain control of the suspect. One other thing that was spoken about in this video is the treatment of the offender. Most will confess fairly easily to the crime but you also have to create the environment in which that suspect will be more willing to open up and speak about the incident. Blues456
ReplyDeleteIt is worth noting that, because of the sheer prevalence of sexual assault, especially of women on college campuses, any mention of the subject should be professional, open minded, and respectful; as the video mentioned. Sexual assault is the most personal violation that someone can experience, making it not only extremely difficult to discuss, but also resulting in it being the most under-reported violent crime. Not only is their stigma and trauma preventing an individual from seeking help, but many people are aware of the statistics, and that most people who commit sexually violent crimes will never spend a day in jail. There is very little physical evidence of sexual crimes, especially if there is delay in reporting. This already provides so much difficulty to the case, but it’s often much harder to prove consent (or lack thereof) in a courtroom. It is worth being aware of these staggering numbers at all times, especially when interviewing younger adult women, since a proportion of individuals we deal with on a daily basis could have been victims of a sexual assault previously. Professionalism and compassion should be exercised with any crime, but any questions regarding partners and/or sexual encounters should be conducted with the utmost care. Speaking of the personal trauma experienced by victims, I truly appreciated the video’s definition of trauma: a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Not only is this a reminder that victim blaming has no place in this field, but also that this is a tragic event with long term emotional consequences. There are no textbook reactions that someone should exhibit when they have been assaulted. Therefore, we must be open minded to a wide variety of reactions. We cannot dismiss anyone’s validity because their emotions and actions display differently than what we would expect. -Gatsby456
ReplyDeleteThis video is about the challenges of investigating sexual assault and how investigators deal with victims. Sexual Assault is the most personally violating crime besides murder. It is surprising to hear that men from colleges and pristine universities have admitted to the legal definition of rape. When someone is sexually assaulted they are traumatized not just physically but mentally. It is an event that takes a large toll on your brain and can be emotionally draining. After someone is sexually assaulted there is a counseling session that happens to see how the victim is doing which can be difficult for them to talk about. Their emotions can be all over the place and it can be hard for them to remember certain things about the situation. The steps taken after someone has reported a sexual assault crime are very important because time could already be lost if that person has waited to say anything. Most of the time when this crime happens to someone the first thing they want to do is shower. They want to wash off what that person did to them but when doing that they are washing off all of the evidence that could help find that person. This video also talks about how police investigators go about when investigating cases like this. Some investigators know how to talk to and comfort the victim while others do not know how to because they are not using the right mindset. Some investigators will give off a vibe that they don’t care what happened, that they think you are lying about it, and just plain out won’t listen to what you have to say. That is something that needs to change within this system. People are scared to speak up about their situations because they have this thought that officers won’t believe them. The girl in the video even says that the first officer that talked to her was very kind and sincere, but when she talked to the investigator they acted like she was making the whole thing up. When you are investigating sexual assault cases you need to have a mindset more with gaurdian than warrior. -hl456
ReplyDeleteIn order to get more convictions in rape and sexual assault cases, officers must get in touch with their empathetic side skillfully. In the video it was stated that the victim feels violated two times, once by the perpetrator and once again with the line of questioning by the responding officer. If a field of trust and haven can be created more victims would come forward against their attacker or abuser. Most times people will not come forward because they feel like nothing is going to be done about it and their only chance to escape the situation could be compromised. A heavy emphasis on caring needs to be implemented so a better testimony can be given. Also, the victim should be walked through every step of the investigative process delicately. First, an attempt needs to be made to calm the victim down, then they should be very carefully told that her hands are going to need to be bagged, and after that reassured that wherever the perp is they're going to be caught. A calmer response can be elicited if a calmer and caring demeanor can be established by the investigator. The victim is not always going to understand the process of the investigator, if at all. More flies are caught with honey than with vinegar in the questioning processes applied to these kinds of cases.
ReplyDeleteHUBRIS456
As I was watching this video I came across a lot of great information. Did you know the most rapes occur on college campuses. That is simply because there are parties going on every weekend, which have lots of drinking and drugs. On most college campuses their are a few stations on the side walks that have emergency buttons and phone. I f you are getting sexual assalted and you cant get to your phone their is a easy way to call for help. Often times people are scared to report their sexual abuse. The people are raping college kids are the students aas well. 1 in 12 admit to acts which could be considered as rape or sexual assault. According to the video there are 26% of rapes reported. These people are not afraid to come foward. 70% of most victims know their assailant. These sexual predators are uncles, step fathers, and cousins who are invited into the home whillinging. Most victims dont report the sexual abuse. They are often scared, and sometimes embarrassed to come forward. In the video it stated that 1 in 6 women are reported being raped. Most of the time victims are scared to report the abuse. Your job as an investigator is to ensure the victim feels safe. Make sure you ask respectful questions. Be very professional questions. Be very objective. Asking appropriate question are also very important. For example, the lady in the video explained how she felt very uncomfortable, and felt like the police did nothing to help. Did you know that 85% of sexual predators are under 30 years old. There are more sexual assault crimes happening daily and someone should put a stop to it. -jas456
ReplyDeleteOne in six women, one in four college students, one in eight victims raped. These are the numbers of victims who are sexually assaulted per person. These numbers are horrible and shouldn’t even exist, why are citizens sexually assaulting their fellow citizens? Not only are these victims being assaulted on college grounds but 70% of these victims know their offender and one in twelve males admitted to sexually assaulting someone and 76 of those offenders admitted to assaulting multiple women leading to about six women per offender.
ReplyDeleteThese numbers are too high for anyone's liking but how are we supposed catch an offender when there is little to none evidence? Most victims shower after being sexually assaulted washing away the DNA, other victims don’t report the crime until later and there's no evidence at all, some male offenders done ejaculate resulting in no DNA left behind, other offenders don't penetrate the victim at all, or there are not witnesses besides the two parties involved. Even if there is evidence left behind and a victim comes forward some police officers are uncomfortable and don’t know where to begin.
Some helpful tips police officers could use when approaching a sexually harassed victim is: provide them with a safe environment, feel comfortable, make sure they know they are not at fault, be professional, be objected and open minded, and most of all; be respectful. Do not ask irrelevant questions.
When investigating the crime scene police need to look for extremely specific things such as: are there child magazines around?, unusual substances?, inappropriate pictures of children or anyone in general?, or bondage? Officers also need to dig into the history of the offender and look for things such as: have they commited a crime like this before?, are they on any registered sites?, or have they committed any crime at all before? The police should also look for witnesses and ask the question: “why are they helping?”
This video was extremely informational and helpful to police officers and even victims.
tumble456
Most victims do shower after being offended because they feel gross and are traumatized. I agree with you that this video was very helpful to get information out to the victims and to police officers. I think people should be educated more on this topic to help prevent this crime from happening. - softball456
DeleteI think that this video was very beneficial and taught me a lot. It is crazy to think how many people get sexually assaulted every year, reported and unreported. Sexual assault is the most common personal violation there is and people need to be more aware of it. Women specially in college are the ones who experience this traumatic experience the most. 37% of rapes are all reported according to the video. In college 1 in 4 women reported sexual assault. 1 in 8 women were raped and 1 in 12 men admitted to the crime. If you look at those statistics you would think that is low. But most of them are not reported. I like how this video explains how to talk to a victim. You should be professional and ask appropriate questions. You should be objective and be respectful. You should NOT ask irrelevant questions. A lot of people who are sexually assaulted do not report it because they are embarrassed or they do not want to retell the story because it is so traumatizing. Being a police officer you need to show the person that was assaulted that you care and you want to help them. If you do not do that, they won't feel comfortable telling you what happened. Being objective is key. I think that this a very occurring problem and more people need to be educated on this topic. A lot of people are sexually assaulted by someone they know. It could be a family member or even a friend. In my opinion I think it would be good for people to be required to take a self defense class to prevent this crime from happening. -softball456
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video, though it pertains to data from 2007, it made me even more nervous as a college female especially with hoping yo return to a larger university to finish my degree. The statistics showed that 1 in 6 women are sexual assault victims with 1 in 4 being women in college. Out of those sexual assaults, 1 in 8 were rape, and
ReplyDelete1 in 12 college men admitted to committing sexual assault. These numbers are terrifying and I personally know of a sexual assault story from my first year at university. The girl invited a boy, whom she thought was a friend, into her dorm and he turned out to be more sadistic with his intentions. I do not know how the case was handled for sure, but I believe the boy was removed from the residential building and most likely the school. Going into the investigation part of that story, I am not sure how the girl was treated when quested and can only hope the investigators were compassionate and delicate about what had happened. There are a sad amount of victims that report being revictimized by the interview portion that the detective conducts. Detectives need to realize that this is an extremely difficult situation for anyone to handle and they already feel dirty and ashamed; a detective must be professional and respectful to the victim and show that they care and want to help. They should never show doubt in the victim’s story until more information comes forth. -Gamma456