Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Female rape victims, assault victims, and appropriately matched non-victimized controls completed a questionnaire at several time periods during a one-year interval. The questionnaires assessed the participants' perceptions of the effectiveness of the police, judiciary, and penal system in handling several types of crimes. The findings of this study indicate that (a) rape victims' perceptions of the effectiveness of the criminal justice system decline with time, (b) the system was seen as least effective in handling rape cases, and (c) assault victims, when compared to the other study participants, perceived the criminal justice system as less effective in dealing with the crime of assault. The implications of these results with regard to low victim reporting rates are discussed.