The Decision to Arrest in Sexual Assault Case Processing: A Test of Black’s Theory of the Behavior of Law

Norah Ylang; Kristy Holtfreter

doi:10.1177/1077801219862632

The Decision to Arrest in Sexual Assault Case Processing: A Test of Black’s Theory of the Behavior of Law

Norah Ylang, Kristy Holtfreter

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Past research applying Donald Black’s theory of the behavior of law to sexual assault case processing has focused on victim decisions to report the crime to the police. This study builds on and extends prior research by examining the next stage of legal mobilization (i.e., arrest). Using secondary data on 310 cases from the 1982-2012 Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Study in Los Angeles, California, the current study explores the effects of victim, offender, and case characteristics on arrest. The results suggest limited support for the theory in this victimization context. Implications for theory, research, and criminal justice practice are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1141-1163
Number of pages	23
Journal	Violence Against Women
Volume	26
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801219862632
State	Published - Aug 1 2020

Keywords

arrest decisions
behavior of law
police investigations
sexual assault
sexual violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies
Sociology and Political Science
Law

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10.1177/1077801219862632

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The Decision to Arrest in Sexual Assault Case Processing: A Test of Black’s Theory of the Behavior of Law

Abstract

Keywords

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