Potential Influences of Rape Myth Acceptance in Police Judgement

I explore the influence and potential effects of rape
myth acceptance on police decision making, specifically
the likelihood that an officer recommends that a
case goes to court. From officers’ perspectives, notable
characteristics of “legitimate” cases are identified.
Next, the relationship between a case’s legitimacy
and acceptance of specific rape myths are analyzed.
A conclusion that can be drawn is that, police officers
endorse few rape myths that affect their judgement
in recommending cases. However, another study
demonstrates that cases that do not go to court also
correlate with negative experiences between the victim
and officer. I explore a possible explanation that
would suggest rape myth acceptance plays a more
influential role in policing than previous studies suggest.
Lastly, I conclude with general weaknesses in
existing literature as well as potential areas of further
study.