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Abstract

This dissertation provides a critical discussion in the form of a literature review into police culture and the impact this has on victims of rape. The findings of the research suggest that rape victims have often been treated like ‘suspects’ and disbelieved, which has affected confidence levels in adult victims of rape. A number of early studies documented a victim blaming culture (Grubb & Turner, 2012) by police officers which was subsequently broadcasted within the media and, in turn, damaged confidence in policing within the public domain. This study has found that a victim blaming culture, along with rape myths and stereotyping, still exist within policing environments today (Sleath & Bull, 2017) and are contributing factors which influence whether a victim reports an offence of rape or not.
Whilst it is acknowledged that only a small minority of police officers pervert today’s police culture, the dissertation then examines the murder of Sarah Everard and the affect this had on the public. Although there has been significant developments in police response to rape, the research shows that further work is required in order to enhance confidence in victims of rape and the researcher provides recommendations on how to achieve this.

Course: Crime and Criminology - BSc (Hons) - C2113P

Date Deposited: 2022-09-21

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14026.html