Forensic Evidence and Criminal Justice Outcomes in Sexual Assault Cases in Massachusetts, 2008-2012 (ICPSR 35205)

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Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The purpose of the research is to develop knowledge about injury evidence and biological evidence in sexual assault cases and assess their role in making arrests using data from medical providers, crime laboratories and police.

Study Design View help for Study Design

This study merged data from three sources:

1. Massachusetts Provided Sexual Crime Report (PSCR)- This consisted of reports that medical providers throughout the state who conduct forensic examinations following sexual assault are required to fax to the Research and Policy Analysis Division of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
2. Forensic evidence data abstracted for the study from the two crime laboratories serving the state: Boston Police Crime Laboratory and Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory.
3. Data on arrests and criminal charges from 140 different police agencies across the state, including municipal, campus and state law enforcement agencies.

The first step in data collection was the creation of a PSCR data file for sampled cases. This file was created from extracting a random sample of cases from 2008 through 2010 from the PSCR database. This included data on victim, perpetrator and assault characteristics. From this data file, a list of all evidence kit numbers was made and provided to research staff working in one of two crime laboratories: Boston Police Crime Laboratory and Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory. Research staff then located the evidence kits and entered kit numbers, and other data into files from the standardized forms and crime laboratory reports accompanying each evidence kit. Finally, the police incident numbers from case samples were sent to police departments for further case and administrative information to be recorded. Analysis data files were created by merging the data file from the PSCR database with the data files created at the crime laboratories and the criminal justice data files that were created from information from police departments.

Sample View help for Sample

A random sample of reported sexual assaults that occurred between 2008 and 2010 was obtained from the Provider Sexual Crimes Report (PSCR) database.The PSCR is a statewide database of medical reports on forensic medical examination following sexual assault in cases in which police reports were made.

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Universe View help for Universe

Sexual assault victims who received forensic medical examinations following sexual assault in Massachusetts, 2008-2010.

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Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

This study includes two SPSS datasets, the first containing information on adult and adolescent cases of sexual assault and the second set containing information on child cases of sexual assault.

Forensic evidence and sexual assault study - adult cases archived data.sav: This dataset consists of 273 variables and 528 cases and represents the adult sample of the study. The variables included:

• Frequency and location of injuries on the victim's body
• Type and amount of photos taken of injuries
• Whether the victim had lost consciousness or was in the ICU
• Type of medical equipment used in exam
• Types of testing done including toxicology, blood, oral swabs, fingernail scrapings, foreign material collection, if any swabbing done and whether clothing was taken for testing
• Whether there was positive evidence from crime report (blood, saliva, semen, other)
• Whether biological or any other type of evidence was found
• DNA match to database
• Victim demographic information (age, race, gender)
• When and where the assault occurred
• Exam information such as when it occurred, who completed it and whether an interpreter was used
• Assailant information such as number [of assailants], gender and relationship to victim
• Type of abuse perpetuated by assailant (hit, bit, used weapon, burned, restrained, choked, penetrated etc.)
• If and where penetration occurred and how
• Whether there was a weapon, elder, child, or disabled persons report done
• Dates such as police involvement; when evidence kits were collected, sent to lab, arrived at lab; date of lab report to police, prosecutors; arrest dates; dates charges filed and time between events
• Whether there were arrests made and/or charges filed

Forensic evidence and sexual assault study - child cases archived data.sav. This dataset consists of 223 variables and 36 cases and represents the child sample of the study. The variables included:

• Whether incident was reported to police at the time of the exam, type of medical provider to administered the exam and was there a kit at the crime lab for the victim
• Frequency and location of injuries on the victim's body
• Type and amount of photos taken of injuries
• Whether the victim had lost consciousness or was in the ICU
• Information about the exam such as what position and medical equipment were used to perform the exam
• Types of testing done including toxicology, blood, oral swabs, fingernail scrapings, foreign material collection, if any swabbing done and whether clothing was taken for testing
• Whether there was positive evidence from crime report (blood, saliva, semen, other)
• Whether biological or any other type of evidence was found
• DNA match to database
• Victim demographic information (age, race, gender)
• When and where the assault occurred
• Exam information such as when it occurred, who completed it and whether an interpreter was used
• Assailant information such as number [of assailants], gender and relationship to victim
• Type of abuse perpetuated by assailant (hit, bit, used weapon, burned, restrained, choked, penetrated etc.)
• If and where penetration occurred
• Whether there was a weapon, elder, child, or disabled persons report done
• Pediatric disclosure, pediatric relationship to assailant and the nature of pediatric assault (acute vs. chronic)
• Dates such as police involvement; when evidence kits were collected, sent to lab, arrived at lab; date of lab report to police, prosecutors; arrest dates; dates charges filed and time between events
• Whether there were arrests made and/or charges filed

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

A brief survey of 143 police agencies was administered and 140 responded, giving it a response rate of 97.9%.

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Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2017-03-30

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None.

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