Rape Process Templates: A Hidden Cause of the Underreporting of Rape

Abstract

Fewer than a third of rape victims report their rape to the police. This low reporting rate appears to exist not only in jurisdictions with police departments that intentionally discourage victims, but also, paradoxically, in areas with departments that believe they encourage victims to report and pursue allegations of rape. Relying on original qualitative research conducted with two local police departments (a city department and a university department) as a case study, this Note identifies a likely cause of the widespread underreporting­ "rape process templates"-and offers the foundation for a solution.