Moving through shadows: police, policing and male rape

Abstract

ABSTRACTFrom a human rights perspective, the present work aims to provide a critical analysis of the approaches used by the police and of the ways in which officers respond to male rape victims in England. Examining police attitudes towards, and responses to, male rape victims can help widen our understanding of policing male rape and the voids that need filling. I draw on primary data, which was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews and qualitative questionnaires, to make sense of the issues involved with policing male rape. The data consist of police officers and voluntary agency practitioners (N = 70). The findings suggest that the police do not see themselves as a support provider, so that justifies their lack of support for male rape victims; their rights are being ignored or unmet. By not providing support to male rape victims, some police officers may not take the issue of male rape seriously, which may embolden them to under-record male rape allegations while discouraging male rape victims from reporting and engaging with the police. Finally, the limitations of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 mean that some officers may not enforce the law appropriately, partly because they misunderstand the law. The findings have serious implications for the ways in which the police serve male rape victims, such as bringing about secondary victimisation and providing a distorted view of male rape through police statistics, which give a false impression of male rape across police forces in England. I suggest ways in which to improve policy and practice that can help fulfil the rights of male rape victims.