The Analysis of Influential Factors for Reporting to the Police in Sexual Assaults

Abstract

Objectives: Using data from the Violence Against Women in the United States Survey from 1994 to 1996, this research examines those factors related to the probability of sexual assault being reported to the police. The main focus is that the effects of the victim offender relationship on whether sexual assaults are reported to the police. Other characters examined were the demographic status, physical injury of the victim, drug use of offender, and the number of incidents. Methods: We used data from The National Violence Against Women Survey collected in 1995~1996 from a nationally representative sample of 8,000 women and 8,000 men, age 18 and over USA[6]. The data was analyzed by univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: The results indicate that the victim offender relationship affect victim reporting. Sexual assaults, particularly, those that involve intimate partners, are less likely to be reported. Other factors that appeared to significantly increase the likelihood of victimization being reported to the police was if the victim sustained physical injuries in addition to the sexual assaults. Conclusions: The findings in this analysis could be used to develop a policy that would increase the reporting of sexual assault to the police.