Effectively Recognizing and Responding to Sexual Assault

 Joanne Archambault, Sgt.(Ret.), SDPD Sex Crimes Unit

"Real rape," as originally described by Susan Estrich depicts the stereotype of an assault by a stranger, committed with a weapon and a great deal of physical force. The victim is chaste and responds to the assault with tearful hysterics and a prompt report to police.
 
Sadly, those victimized by sexual assault continue to be judged in comparison to this artificial standard -- and the less their case resembles the stereotype the more likely they are to be viewed with doubt and/or blame. Unfortunately, those of us in the field are not immune to the power of this societal stereotype. Rather, we see its effects in the perceptions of prosecutors, jurors, police, and even advocates. The purpose of this training is to identify how the police investigation is affected by the stereotype of “real rape” and how to overcome these negative effects.