Reporting after sexual violence: The influence of victim, assault and perpetrator characteristics

Short communications: Exploring temporal fluorescent changes in the composition of human semen stains

Semen traces are considered important pieces of evidence in forensic investigations, especially those involving sexsual offenses. Recently, our research group developed a fluorescence-based technique to accurately determine the age of semen traces. However, the specific compounds resonsible for the fluoresescent behaviour of ageing semens remain unknown. As such, in this exploratory study, the aim is to identify the components associated with the fluorescent behavior of ageing semen traces. In this investigation semen stains and various biofluorophores commonly found in body fluids were left to aged for 0, 2, 4, 7, 14 and 21 days. Subsequently, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) mass spectrometry were performed to identify the biofluorophores present in semen. Several contributors to the autofluorescence could be identified in semen stain, these include tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and norharman. The study sheds light on the.

A Comparative Study of the Help-Seeking Behavior of Victims of Contact Sexual Violence and Image-Based Sexual Harassment and Abuse

Sexual victimization may have serious consequences for victims' well-being. Thus, seeking support is encouraged and associated with positive outcomes. However, no research has compared the help-seeking behavior of victims of contact and image-based (i.e., noncontact) sexual violence. This study explores the differences in help-seeking behavior, and barriers to help-seeking, by comparing datasets from two online survey studies. The findings highlight that victims of contact sexual violence appear more likely to seek help, but also experience the barriers to help-seeking as greater. An exception is the minimization of the incident, which is experienced similarly by both. Future longitudinal research is recommended.

But Someone Was Right There: An Examination of How Third-Party Presence Is Associated With Rape and Sexual Assault Victim Help-Seeking Behavior and Reports to Police

This research evaluates whether third-party presence is associated with rape and sexual assault (RSA) victims help-seeking and reporting to police, addressing a gap in the literature about how the presence of a third-party is associated with victim behavior. This research uses secondary data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Findings indicate that third-party presence has no statistically significant association with help-seeking and marginal significance with police reporting. This research focuses on third-party presence as a precursor to understanding victim help-seeking behaviors and reports to police. This research raises questions about the expected role of third parties in RSA victimizations.

Factors Related to Police Reporting in Sexual Assault Care Centers: Are We Underestimating the Role of Support Persons?

Few victims of sexual assault (SA) report to the police. Research on the role of support persons in victims' reporting is sparse. We address this gap by examining the association of victim, assailant, victimization incident, and support characteristics with reporting rates among victims attending sexual assault care centers (SACCs). Logistic regression results show that type of SA, delay between SA and presentation at SACC, and presence of an informal support person at SACC and SACC site are significantly associated with police reporting. These findings reveal the importance of targeting victims' support persons to alter reporting behavior among SA victims.

Trends in victim, incident and care characteristics of a Dutch sexual assault center

Worldwide, one in three women have experienced sexual violence, causing various physical and mental health problems such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and medically unexplained symptoms. Much has changed in the last decade. The use of the Internet, smartphones and apps has increased enormously, sexual violence is discussed more and more openly in the media. These changes have provided a platform for victims of sexual violence which has profoundly influenced the disclosing process and the victims' help-seeking behavior. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the number of victims seeking help from a professional institution has gone up. Therefore, our study aims to investigate if there have been changes in victim, incident and care characteristics among victims of a Dutch Center for Sexual Violence. We used data of victims attending the center between 2013 and 2020, including registered police file registrations instead of victim's reporting statements. Victims were divided into a cohort of early years (2013-2016) and recent years (2017-2020). In 2017-2020, a total of 270 victims attended the center compared to 83 victims in 2013-2016. The percentage of self-referrers increased from 10% to 30% in recent years; the use of psychotropic drugs among victims decreased from 24% to 11%; and more victims were willing to receive psychosocial follow-up care (64% versus 79%). The percentage of male victims remains low at approximately 5% of all victims in both cohorts. Background characteristics such as age and mental disability have hardly changed between 2013 and 2020. The proportion of known perpetrators remains high with approximately 80% in both cohorts, and the proportion of perpetrators who met victims on the Internet remains unchanged with approximately 6% in both cohorts. To improve our understanding of the influence of societal changes on help-seeking behavior, the monitoring of victim, incident and care characteristics remains crucial in the future.