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cover of episode Data Points: False Reporting and Its Impact on Survivors

Data Points: False Reporting and Its Impact on Survivors

2024/11/12
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This chapter discusses the impact of false reporting on survivors and the criminal justice system, emphasizing the importance of initial belief and the guidelines for determining the legitimacy of reports.
  • False reporting of sexual assault is estimated to be between 2 and 8 percent.
  • False reports undermine the credibility of real survivors and strain law enforcement resources.
  • Guidelines by the FBI and IACP emphasize that a report is considered false only if evidence shows no crime was committed.

Shownotes Transcript

**__*Content Warning: __**sexual assault, rape, false reporting and mental illness.

Sources:

Brittain, A. (2024, October 1). Me Too Movement. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Me-Too-movement)

Brooks SK, Greenberg N. Psychological impact of being wrongfully accused of criminal offenses: A systematic literature review. Med Sci Law. 2021 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7838333/

The Criminal Justice System: Statistics. (n.d.). Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network.. https://rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system)

Criminal Resource Manual. (n.d.). U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-916-false-statements-federal-investigator)

False Reporting. (2012, March). National Sexual Violence Resource Center. https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2012-03/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf)

Falsely Reporting an Incident, Saland Law 

https://www.new-york-lawyers.org/falsely-reporting-an-incident.html

Former Rising Football Star Exonerated in Rape Case. (2012, May 24). ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/rising-football-star-brian-banks-exonerated-rape-case/story?id=16424770)

Leithead, K. (2022, November 9). False Reports: Percentage. End Violence Against Women International. https://evawintl.org/best_practice_faqs/false-reports-percentage/)

Mascolo, J. (2023, September 8). Filing a False Police Report. https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/filing-a-false-police-report.html)

McNamara, J., & Lawrence, J. (2012, September 1). False Allegations of Adult Crimes. Law Enforcement Bulletin. https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/false-allegations-of-adult-crimes)

McNamara JJ, McDonald S, Lawrence JM. Characteristics of false allegation adult crimes. J Forensic Sci. 2012

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)

More Than Twice as Many Americans Support Than Oppose the #MeToo Movement. (2022, September 29). Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/09/29/more-than-twice-as-many-americans-support-than-oppose-the-metoo-movement/)

Perrotto, A. (n.d.). The rarity of false rape reports; a brave new world of technology (PCAR). Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect. https://pcar.org/blog/rarity-false-rape-reports-brave-new-world-technology)

Tarana Burke. (n.d.). Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tarana-Burke

Woman Who Falsely Accused Brian Banks of Rape Ordered to Pay $2.6M. (2013, January 15). KTLA 4. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/woman-falsely-accused-brian-banks-rape-ordered-to-pay-26m/1971672/

Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

https://www.nami.org/

National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

https://www.nsvrc.org/

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

https://rainn.org/?_ga=2.262784078.390982495.1727710159-2006450411.1727373347

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