DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37181.v1
title: Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases: Replication Research on Sexual Violence Case Attrition in the United States, 2006-2012
title: Version 1

description: These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. The study contains data on sexual assault cases reported to the police for the years 2006-2012, collected from six police agencies and also their corresponding public prosecutor's offices across the United States. The study analyzed the attrition of sexual assault cases from the criminal justice system. This study includes two SPSS data files: Court-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav (801 variables, 417 cases) Police-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav (1,276 variables, 3,269 cases) This study also includes two SPSS syntax files: ICPSR-Court-Form-Variable-Construction-2008-2010.sps ICPSR-Constructed-Variables-Syntax.sps The study also contains qualitative data which are not available as part of this data collection at this time. The qualitative data includes interviews, field observations, and focus groups which were conducted with key personnel to examine organizational and cultural dimensions of handling sexual assault cases in order to understand how these factors influence case outcomes.
description: The study was undertaken to replicate research on sexual assault case attrition at six sites across the country.
description: <strong>Court-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav</strong> Half of the six sites provided detailed prosecutor case files; for the other sites, publicly available court records were relied upon. <strong>Police-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav</strong> From each of the six sites, detailed case records on the population of reported and attempted rape cases (with victims over age 12) were obtained to provide in-depth understanding of the dynamics of sexual assault cases. <strong>Qualitative Data</strong> Interviews, field observations, and focus groups were conducted with police, prosecutors, and victims service providers to examine organizational and cultural dimensions of handling sexual assault cases in order to understand how these factors influence case outcomes. The qualitative data are not available as part of this data collection at this time.
description: <strong>Court-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav</strong> This data includes information such as the use of bail, type and number of offenses, prior arrests/convictions, number of hearings, whether there was a trial, and case outcomes. <strong>Police-Form-2008-2010-Sample-Revised-Nov-2018.sav</strong> This data includes information on victim, offender, relationship (if any), and case characteristics such as consent, number of suspects, evidence collected, date and reporting of incident, where offense took place, weapons, use of alcohol/drugs, actual offense, previous offenses by suspect, use of violence, case clearance.
description: Researchers purposively selected study sites from different regions of the U.S. (Northeast, South, and West) and from within those, researchers selected urban, suburban, and rural jurisdictions and those that represented diverse police organizational factors and populations served.
description: Datasets: DS1: Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases: Replication Research on Sexual Violence Case Attrition in the United States, 2006-2012
description: Female victims (over the age of 12) of sexual assault, reported to the police in six jurisdictions from 2006-2012. Smallest Geographic Unit: police jurisdiction
description: coded on-site observation; face-to-face interviewThese data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further is needed.The qualitative data are not available as part of this data collection at this time.