The relationship between victim attitudes, training, and behaviors of sexual assault investigators

Abstract

Literature on procedural justice suggests crime victims respond to the quality of treatment received by the police. Investigators who utilize interview techniques that align with tenets of procedural justice may have better overall interactions with victims and elicit better quality investigative information from victims, highlighting the importance of providing sexual assault specific training to police officers and investigators. One barrier to improving interactions are the perceptions police officers have of sexual assault victims. Research is mixed regarding whether training can influence these perceptions, or if training can only change behaviors. However, research regarding sexual assault specific training is limited, particularly for investigators. This study builds upon the current literature by exploring the influence of the receipt of and perceived helpfulness of procedural justice-based training on subsequent utilization of interview techniques that are consistent with the procedural justice perspective, and whether perceptions of victims mediate this relationship. This is tested using secondary analysis of self-report survey data from a sample of Illinois sexual assault investigators (N = 231) utilizing structural equation modeling. Results suggest that procedural justice-based training influences utilization of interview techniques, and that perceptions partially mediate this relationship. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.