Interviewing Rape Victims Practice and Policy Issues in an International Context

Rape is a crime which society often struggles to address, with many victims failing to report rape due in part to the prevalence of 'rape myths' and a fear of negative behaviours towards them. This study provides a unique insight into the cultural, social and practical aspects of interviewing rape victims and looks to how communities can better respond to sexual violence.

From the theoretical to the practical, the local to the international, and the individualistic to the cultural, Karen Rich explores how attitudes affect reactions to victims, how organisations can collaborate to improve community responses and how victims' rights have shaped society's discourse about rape. The book aims to identify the characteristics of officers best suited to conduct victim interviews, addressing the intersection of police gender, attitudes towards rape, officer rank, amount of specialized sexual assault related training, general education level and collaboration with victim advocates.

This important and under-studied area of police work will have significant implications for the development of police training on sexual assault and will be a valuable resource for scholars of Criminal Justice, Law, Psychology, Sociology and Gender studies.

Karen Rich is Assistant Professor in Social Work at Marywood University, USA.

Introduction
1. Attitudes Towards Rape and Rape Victims
2. Skills for Interviewing Rape Reporters
3. Victim Agencies and Victim Advocates
4. Gender and Rape Victim Interviews
5. Summary and Conclusions
6. Limitations and Future Directions