This article critically analyzes the pervasive issue of skepticism as a significant barrier to effective evidence collection and justice for victims of sex crimes. Despite advancements in forensic science and victim support, the initial response from law enforcement, often influenced by ingrained rape myths and biases, can lead to victim disbelief, re-victimization, and ultimately, a failure to secure crucial evidence. This study synthesizes existing literature to explore how skepticism manifests in police procedures, its detrimental impact on victims' willingness to report and engage with the justice system, and the subsequent challenges in prosecuting sex crime cases. The findings highlight that police perceptions of sexual assault victims, often shaped by harmful stereotypes, directly influence the quality of evidence collection and the likelihood of a case being "unfounded." This analysis advocates for a transformative shift in police procedures, moving from a skeptical, blame-oriented approach to a victim-centered, trauma-informed framework. Recommendations include mandatory comprehensive training on rape myths and trauma, standardized empathetic interview techniques, robust evidence collection protocols, and accountability mechanisms to ensure that initial police response prioritizes victim dignity, fosters trust, and facilitates the effective collection of evidence essential for justice.

Skepticism, Evidence Collection, Sex Crime Victims

Ackard, D. M., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2002). Date violence and date rape among adolescents: Associations with disordered eating behaviors and psychological health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26(5), 455–473. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(02)00322-8.

McCart, M. R., Smith, D. W., & Sawyer, G. K. (2010). Help seeking among victims of crime: a review of the empirical literature. Journal of traumatic stress, 23(2), 198–206. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20509.

Basow, S., & Thompson, J. (2012). Service providers’ reactions to intimate partner violence as a function of victim sexual orientation and type of abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(7), 1225–1241.

Gekoski, A., Massey, K., Allen, K., Ferreira, J., Dalton, C. T., Horvath, M., & Davies, K. (2024). ‘A lot of the time it’s dealing with victims who don’t want to know, it’s all made up, or they’ve got mental health’: Rape myths in a large English police force. International Review of Victimology, 30(1), 3-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580221142891.

Hebert, R. (2013). Rape myth acceptance among law enforcement. LSU Scholarly Repository, Item 2371. https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses.

Greeson, M., Campbell, R., & Fehler‐Cabral, G. (2016). “Nobody deserves this”: Adolescent sexual assault victims’ perceptions of disbelief and victim blame from police. Journal of Community Psychology, 44(1), 90-110.

Murphy-Oikonen, J., McQueen, K., Miller, A., Chambers, L., & Hiebert, A. (2022). Unfounded Sexual assault: women's experiences of not being believed by the police. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(11-12), NP8916–NP8940. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520978190.

Dolezal, L., Gibson, M. Beyond a trauma-informed approach and towards shame-sensitive practice. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1), 321-345. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01227-z.

Cohn, A., Zinzow, H., Resnick, H., & Kilpatrick, D. (2013). Correlates of reasons for not reporting rape to police. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28(3), 455-473.

Moore, B., & Baker, T. (2016). An exploratory examination of college students’ likelihood of reporting sexual assault to police and university officials: Results of a self-report survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(1), 11-33.

Wolitzky-Taylor, K., Resnick, H., McCauley, J., Amstadter, A., Kilpatrick, D., & Ruggiero, K. (2011). Is reporting of rape on the rise? A comparison of women with reported versus unreported rape experiences in the national women's study-replication. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(4), 807-32.

Wentz, E., & Archbold, C. (2012). Police perceptions of sexual assault victims. Police Quarterly, 15(1), 25-44.

Shaw, J., Campbell, R., Cain, D., & Feeney, H. (2016). Beyond Surveys and Scales: How Rape Myths Manifest in Sexual Assault Police Records. Psychology of Violence, 30(4), 201-223.

Payne, B. (2008). Challenges responding to sexual violence: Differences between college campuses and communities. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36(3), 224-230.

Murphy, S., Edwards, K., Bennett, S., Bibeau, S., & Sichelstiel, J. (2014). Police reporting practices for sexual assault cases in which “the victim does not wish to pursue charges”. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(1), 144-156.

Parratt, & Pina. (2017). From "real rape" to real justice: A systematic review of police officers' rape myth beliefs. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 34, 68-83.

Larimer, M., Lydum, A. R., Anderson, B. K., & Turner, A. P. (1999). Male and female recipients of unwanted sexual contact in a college student sample: Prevalence rates, alcohol use, and depression symptoms. Sex Roles, 40, 295–308. doi:10.1023/A:1018807223378.

Hart, T., Rennison, C., & United States. Office of Justice Programs. (2003). Reporting crime to the police, 1992-2000 (Special report [United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics]). Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

Hohendorff, Habigzang, & Koller. (2017). "A boy, being a victim, nobody really buys that, you know?": Dynamics of sexual violence against boys. Child Abuse & Neglect, 70, 53-64.

Ellison, L., & Munro, V. (2017). Taking trauma seriously. The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, 21(3), 183-208.

Zoellner, L. A., Foa, E. B., Brigidi, B. D., & Przeworski, A. (2000). Are trauma victims susceptible to "false memories"? Journal of abnormal psychology, 109(3), 517–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.109.3.517.

Helm R. K. (2021). Evaluating witness testimony: Juror knowledge, false memory, and the utility of evidence-based directions. The international journal of evidence & proof, 25(4), 264–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/13657127211031018.

(General statement on underreporting, not specific to one reference from the provided list).

Fyfe, N. R., & McKay, H. (2000). Desperately seeking safety: Witnesses’ experiences of intimidation, protection and relocation. The British Journal of Criminology, 40(4), 675–691. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23638491.

(General statement on help-seeking deterrence, not specific to one reference from the provided list).

Walsh, K., Zinzow, H., Badour, C., Ruggiero, K., Kilpatrick, D., & Resnick, H. (2016). Understanding disparities in service seeking following forcible versus drug- or alcohol-facilitated/incapacitated rape. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 31(14), 2475-2491.

Risan, P., Milne, R., & Binder, P. E. (2020). Trauma narratives: recommendations for investigative interviewing. Psychiatry, psychology, and law: an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 27(4), 678–694. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2020.1742237.

Venema, R. (2016). Making judgments: how blame mediates the influence of rape myth acceptance in police response to sexual assault. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2(17), 301-333.

Karmakar S, Duggal C. (2024). Trauma-informed approach to qualitative interviewing in non-suicidal self-injury research. Qualitative Health Research, 34(1-2):33-47.

(General statement on trauma-informed interviewing, not specific to one reference from the provided list).

Greenawalt, K. (2000). Dignity and victimhood. California Law Review, 88(3), 779–789. https://doi.org/10.2307/3481193.

Richards, K. (2009). Taking victims seriously? The role of victims’ rights movements in the emergence of restorative justice. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 21(2), 302–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/10345329.2009.12035847.

Darwinkel, E., Powell, M., & Tidmarsh, P. (2013). Improving police officers’ perceptions of sexual offending through intensive training. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 40(8), 895-908.

Powell, Martine B, & Wright, Rebecca. (2012). Professionals' perceptions of a new model of sexual assault investigation adopted by Victoria police. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 23(3), 333-352.

Lonsway, K., Welch, S., & Fitzgerald, L. (2001). Police training in sexual assault response. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 28(6), 695-730.