Prevalence of negative attitudes among police officers toward rape victims

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine, by survey, the prevalence of negative attitudes toward rape victims among police officers at the Memphis Police Academy. A total of 510 police officers completed surveys that included negative statements about rape victims. A total of 482 officers completed the pretest, and 495 completed the posttest. Intervention included a follow-up lecture in which appropriate attitudes toward rape victims were reemphasized. The presence of negative attitudes was the main outcome measure. A high level of negative attitudes was noted in the pretest, with positive responses ranging from 43 to 73%. After the session, there was no significant difference in the acceptance rates of these same negative myths, with acceptance rates ranging from 51 to 77%. There were minimal differences between the acceptance rates for the various questions, with the training changing those preconceived ideas in less than 10% of respondents. Some negative myths were affected by the gender or seniority of the responding officer. The study documents the high prevalence of negative attitudes toward rape victims among police officers. Physicians should be aware of the existence of such attitudes. To offset potential negative attitudes, the physician in his or her medical report should use terminology that emphasizes that the patient is a victim of a crime.