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Behavioral Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 5
10.3390/bs15050701
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Article

From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021

by
Jessica C. Fleming
1,*,
Ashley K. Fansher
2 and
Ryan Randa
3
1
Department of Victim Studies, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA
2
Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
3
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 4 March 2025 / Revised: 9 May 2025 / Accepted: 15 May 2025 / Published: 19 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Violence and Sexual Harassment)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

The current literature indicates that sexual violence against women (VAW) is chronically under-reported to law enforcement due to factors such as fear of retaliation, societal stigma, and practical obstacles. Using National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) incident-level data, this study examines changes in the reporting patterns of sexual VAW from 1992 to 2021. This period of focus is notable for significant and, at times, unprecedented societal shifts and legislative reforms. Our results suggest that there are three distinct time periods for sexual VAW reporting in the United States, each marked by various social and political movements. These results provide researchers and law enforcement practitioners alike with insights into the instability of shifts in the reporting of sexual VAW to the police, supporting changes in how reporting behaviors should be viewed over varying time periods.
Keywords: sexual assault; reporting behaviors; violence against women; trends sexual assault; reporting behaviors; violence against women; trends

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fleming, J.C.; Fansher, A.K.; Randa, R. From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701

AMA Style

Fleming JC, Fansher AK, Randa R. From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(5):701. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fleming, Jessica C., Ashley K. Fansher, and Ryan Randa. 2025. "From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 5: 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701

APA Style

Fleming, J. C., Fansher, A. K., & Randa, R. (2025). From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021. Behavioral Sciences, 15(5), 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701

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