comparative study of drug assisted rapes and non-drug assisted rapes reported to surrey police...
TRANSCRIPT
Comparative study of drug assisted rapes and non-drug
assisted rapes reported to Surrey police between November 1999
and November 2004
Miranda Horvath & Jennifer BrownUniversity of Surrey
8th International Investigative Psychology ConferenceLondon, 15th – 16th December 2005
The Role of Alcohol and The Role of Alcohol and Drugs in RapeDrugs in Rape
Context• “Cult of Scepticism” and “Attrition” Kelly, Lovett &
Regan (2005)
• 30% respondents = woman is partially or totally responsible for being raped if drunk Amnesty
International (2005)
• 4 in 10 (36%) women sexually assaulted when drunk Portman Group (2005)
• Liberalisation of licensing laws in Britain (2005)
“Drinking is a real issue…men I suspect think they can get away
with rape…they are targeting nightclubs where young girls have
been drinking.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates
Association of Chief Police Officer’s lead on sexual offences
Observer, 27th November 2005
Prevalence of Alcohol and Drugs in Sexual Assault
• College Students in USA – Alcohol involved in 1/3 - ½ - ¾ (e.g. Testa & Parks, 1996)
• UK Reported to police: Alcohol in 1/3 Drugs in 1 in 10 (Kelly et al.
2005)
• Implications for police and jury response- Focus on victims behaviour before attack- If drinking less likely to be believed (e.g. Lopez, 1992)
Effects of Alcohol
• Impairs cognitive and motor skills
• Ability to engage in higher order cognitive processes
• In men – enhance sexual behaviour and aggressiveness
• Focus on salient cues in a situation ignore more peripheral information
(e.g. Abbey et al. 1999, Hindmarch, et al. 1991; Parks & Miller, 1997; Steele & Josephs, 1990)
Aims
To identify patterns and characteristics among rapes which have come to police attention in order to distinguish between
rapes involving alcohol and those which do not involve alcohol
Data
• November 1999 – November 2004
• 93 cases victim under influence of drugs or alcohol
• 91 cases (random sample) offender charged, victim not under influence drugs or alcohol
• Coding dictionary
Analysis 1:Alcohol/drug implicated rapes (ADIR) vs. No alcohol/drug implicated rapes (NADIR)
• ADIR = alcohol/drugs had been consumed by victim and/or offender = 108
• NADIR = no alcohol/drugs had been consumed by victim or offender = 76
Assault Location
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Vic
tim h
ome
Offe
nder
hom
e
Vic
tim &
Offe
nder
sha
red
hom
e
Oth
er p
rivat
e ho
me
Offe
nder
Bus
ines
sM
edic
al fa
cilit
yN
ight
club
Out
side Car
Hot
elU
nkno
wn
Alcohol/drugs implicated
No alcohol/drugs implicated
Location
Percentage of cases
Victim/Offender Relationships
• Majority of victims & offenders knew each other, but significantly more in NADIR (88%) than in ADIR (73%)
Relationships (x² p<.05)
Partners Ex-partners Friends Strangers
ADIR 14 5 48 25
NADIR 28 17 30 12
Victim and Offender Characteristics
• Victims, NADIR more likely to be:- Married
- Remember being assaulted- Remember after being assaulted
• Offenders, NADIR more likely to have come to police attention before
• Suspects, ADIR more likely to be unemployed
Offence behaviours
Victim Bound
Physically restrain
Vaginal penetration
Sexual fondling
Offender masturbates
ADIR 0.93 8.33 73.15 26.85 4.63
NADIR 7.89 48.68 94.74 2.63 17.11
p <.05 <.001 <.001 <.05 <.05
Analysis 2: Who had consumed the alcohol/drugs
1. Victim Drunk & Offender Drunk
2. Victim Drunk & Offender Sober
3. Victim Sober & Offender Sober
4. Victim Sober & Offender Drunk
Location
Victim’s homeVictim & Offender
shared homeOther private
home
Victim Drunk / Offender Sober
20.51 0 17.95
Victim Drunk / Offender Drunk
16.67 9.26 18.52
Victim Sober / Offender Drunk
53.33 26.67 6.67
Victim Sober / Offender Sober
28.95 23.68 0
p <.05 <.005 <.001
Did the victim and offender know each other?
• X² (3,184) = 11.16 p<.05
- Victim Sober / Offender Sober 88%
- Victim Sober / Offender Drunk 80%
- Victim Drunk / Offender Drunk 79%
- Victim Drunk / Offender Sober 62%
Victim / Offender Relationship
Partners Ex-partners Friends
Offender
Drunk Sober Drunk Sober Drunk Sober
Victim
Drunk 16.67 2.56 3.70 2.56 51.85 51.28
Sober 33.33 27.63 13.33 17.12 26.67 30.26
p <.005 <.05 <.05
Victim & Offender Characteristics
• Victims:- All sober victims remembered assault & after- Most likely to remember being approached when both
parties drunk
• Offenders & Suspects- Not possible to distinguish on any characteristics
Offence Behaviours
More frequent with drunk victim• Victim moved from one location to another• Sexual fondling
More frequent with sober victim• Offender Physically restrained victim• Vaginal penetration• Offender masturbated
Main findings
• Alcohol/drugs most likely to be involved between friends
• Inability to distinguish offenders, suspects and victims
• Victims state of sobriety / intoxication most significant
Future Research
• In depth analysis of cases where victim is intoxicated, focusing on:
- How victim became intoxicated- What the had consumed- How much they had consumed
• Comparison with a larger sample of cases from a different force
• Compare reported and unreported cases
Selected References• Abbey, A., McAuslan, P., & Ross, L.T. (1998) Sexual assault perpetration by
college men: The role of alcohol, misperception of sexual intent, and sexual beliefs and experiences. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17, 167-195.
• Anatomy of a big night out (2005) The Portman Group. Retrieved on 11th October from www.portman-group.org.uk.
• Hindmarch, I., Kerr, J. & Sherwood, N. (1991) The effects of alcohol and other drugs on psychomotor performance and cognitive function. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 26, 71-79.
• ICM (2005) Sexual assault research. Retrieved on 23rd November 2005 from www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16618.shtml.
• Kelly, L., Lovett, J. & Regan, L. (2005) A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases. Hone Office Research Study, 293. London: Home Office.
• Lopez, P. (1992) He said…she said…an overview of date rape from commission through prosecution through verdict. Criminal Justice, 13, 275-302.
• ‘New drink law spark rapes fears (2005, 27th November) The Observer, p4.• Parks, K.A. & Miller, B.A. (1997) Bar victimisation of women. Psychology of
Women Quarterly, 21, 509-525.• Steele, C.M. & Josephs, R.A. (1990) Alcohol Myopia: Its prized and dangerous
effects. American Psychologist, 45, 921-933.• Testa, M. & Parks, K.A. (1996) The role of women’s alcohol consumption in
sexual victimisation. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 1, 217-234.