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Speeches and Papers by AIC Staff

Intimate partner sexual assault : the impact of competing demands on victims' decisions to seek criminal justice solutions

Denise Lievore
Australian Institute of Criminology

Presented at:
Steps forward for families: research, practice and policy
Eighth Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference
Melbourne
12-14 February 2003

Abstract

Despite initiatives to encourage the reporting of sexual assault to the police, women who are sexually victimised by intimate partners are least likely to seek legal redress, which leaves them at risk of repeat victimisation and open to victim blaming. This paper demonstrates that reporting decisions are mediated by a number of competing personal, cultural and situational demands, which act as barriers to the criminal justice system. The paper discusses statistics on the distribution of victim / offender relationships in sexual assault in Australia and the impact of these on revictimisation and the odds of reporting sexual assault, and then discusses the personal, cultural and situational factors which hinder reporting of intimate partner sexual assault, including the impact of cultural myths about sexual assault. The paper argues that non reporting may be viewed as a rational response to victimisation in some circumstances, as it maintains particular values and achieves desired outcomes. This is not to suggest that women should not be encouraged to report sexual offences, but indicates that victims who do report to police must be enabled to achieve other desired outcomes, such as protection from reprisal. (Paper presented at 'Steps forward for families : research, practice and policy', the 8th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, held in Melbourne from 12-14 February 2003).