Since no studies have examined cooperation decisions in intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA) cases, this study uses data on sexual assaults reported to Los Angeles law enforcement in 2008 to address this issue.
Research overwhelmingly indicates that victim cooperation influences case outcomes in both sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases. This study uses data on sexual assaults reported to Los Angeles law enforcement in 2008 to address this issue. Because the contextual factors associated with sexual assault can vary dramatically depending on the suspect-victim relationship, this study estimates a model of victim cooperation that includes factors unique to IPSA. Additionally, the current research discusses how police practices and perceptions likely interact with victim characteristics to affect victim cooperation decisions. Quantitative findings are supplemented with a qualitative analysis of the reasons victims reported for declining to cooperate. (publisher abstract modified)