Oral Presentation: The implications for sexual assault investigations of anonymous online reporting

Title: The implications for sexual assault investigations of anonymous online reporting

Abstract:

It is well established in the literature that rape and sexual assault are the most underreported crimes world-wide, with an estimated 80-90% of sexual assaults going unreported annually. In response to shortcomings within the criminal justice system, we have seen innovations in the online collection of anonymous and confidential reports.  While users might be reporting anonymously, they know that their information will be used by police for intelligence purposes and crime mapping, with the option of making a formal complaint later. This research compares the questioning strategies used in best practice police interviewing with the questioning approach used in the online forms for anonymous reporting of sexual assault. I will present the findings of a recent study of questions used in such online forms.  The study demonstrates that the online forms are constructed without the benefit of research evidence about how best to elicit detailed and reliable accounts, and in fact in many cases, violate the established principles of eliciting narrative accounts.  Recommendations for improvements to anonymous reporting forms will be discussed, along with the application of form-based, ‘written interviews’ to multi-lingual settings.