ERIC Number: ED406630
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-Aug
Pages: 40
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Police Training in Sexual Assault Response: Comparison of Approaches.
Lonsway, Kimberly A.
Although police officers are routinely criticized for their negative attitudes and behavior toward sexual assault victims, few programs are described in the literature which educate and train officers to improve their actions in this area. This neglect is addressed in this study, in which three classes of police recruits are examined: (1) a baseline class, which received the standard, police academy training protocol; (2) an experimental group, which received a 4-hour training workshop on sexual assault response; and (3) a second experimental group that received the same 4 hours of training, but had material integrated into the general police training curriculum. Results revealed that the experimental training programs were no more likely than the baseline curriculum to produce change in sexual assault knowledge, rape myth acceptance, or judgments in a simulated sexual assault interview. However, the role players who portrayed rape victims in simulated interviews reported that recruits in the third group outperformed others with respect to interviewing content and style. Officers in the second group were more likely than others to address the victim's physical and emotional welfare, along with other factors. It is suggested that specific training is needed to prepare officers for competent performance in sexual assault interviews. Contains 86 references. (RJM)
Descriptors: Attitudes, Comparative Analysis, Interviews, Police, Police Action, Police Education, Rape, Responses, Sexual Abuse, Training Methods, Victims of Crime
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A