Connecting survivors to therapeutic support and criminal justice through informal reporting options
An analysis of sexual violence reports made to a digital reporting tool in Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15310259 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rachel Loney-Howes (0000-0001-8705-157X, University of Wollongong, corresponding author), Georgina Heydon (0000-0002-0521-2227, RMIT University), Tully O’neill (0000-0002-0693-7756, College of Law and Justice, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 20-37 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Issues in Criminal Justice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1034-5329 • E-ISSN: 2206-9542 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10345329.2021.2004983 |
| OpenAlex | W3216114559 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 40 |
This article analyses the content of 483 reports of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and various forms of sexual harassment, made to a digital reporting tool (DRT) developed by a rape crisis centre in Melbourne, Australia. These written digital reports were made in a confidential and informal capacity, with all de-identified reports distributed to relevant policing jurisdictions to support intelligence gathering. Based on an analysis of the de-identified reports, this article suggests the DRT functioned as an important gateway in connecting survivors with appropriate therapeutic support when disclosing sexual violence and had a demonstrable capacity to provide the police with information for intelligence gathering. There was also scope for survivors to make formal reports should they wish to do so. However, further research with police, sexual violence support services and survivors is needed to develop a full understanding of the potential of informal sexual violence reporting options
Confidentiality · Criminal justice · Criminology · Harassment · Political science · Public relations · Sexual violence · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology
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Content Analysis
Police officers' perceptions of false allegations of rape
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |