Miranda A. H. Horvath

Multiple perpetrator rape: Naming an offence and initial research findings

Abstract Multiple perpetrator rape presents a significant problem nationally and internationally. However, previous research is limited and findings are often contradictory. The details of 101 rape allegations recorded in a six-month period in a large police force in England were analysed. Findings are presented about case classification, victim and perpetrator characteristics, approach and assault location, perpetrator group composition and victim targeting. The discussion of the findings is used as a basis to explore the pitfalls and benefits of the established naming and definition of this offence. Local and colloquial terms (e.g. “gang bang” and “streamlining”) as well as academic terminology (e.g. “group” and “gang” rape) are considered. The paper concludes by proposing an overarching term “multiple perpetrator” rape that allows a series of subtypes to be developed both locally and transnationally.

The role of drugs and alcohol in rape.

Alcohol and drugs have been inextricably linked with sexual assault. Media coverage has increasingly highlighted the health risks facing intoxicated women and more recently identified the risk of rape as an additional hazard. Using a sample of rape cases reported to the police between 1999 and 2004, this paper establishes that rapes involving intoxicants (alcohol and/or drugs) are distinguishable from those which do not. Further analysis discovered that the identity of the intoxicated parties (i.e. men, women, neither or both) is important in differentiating rapes. Results report differences by location of assault, victim offender relationship, victim and offender characteristics and offence behaviours. A consistent finding from the analysis is that the victims state of sobriety or inebriation appears more significant than that of the offender. The implications for crime prevention and directions for future research are discussed.

Alcohol as drug of choice; Is drug-assisted rape a misnomer?

Abstract Building on previous research which identified alcohol as the drug of choice for facilitating sexual assaults, this paper analysed 93 rape cases reported to the police in which the victim was under the influence of drugs/alcohol when the assault occurred. The aim was to explore what substances victims consumed to become incapacitated and who induced the state of incapacity. The degree of pre-planning suggests that the offender could be described as opportunistic or predatory. Findings demonstrated that the majority of rapes (coming to police notice) in which alcohol or drugs are implicated, are circumstances where the victim has self-intoxicated through alcohol consumption. There were relatively few cases in which drugs had been administered surreptitiously. The analyses successfully identified differences between rapes that occur when the victim is intoxicated or drugged according to how she consumed that alcohol/drug and what kind of alcohol/drugs she had consumed. The concept of negotiative space is offered as a potential theoretical explanation. The findings are discussed in the light of this and recommendations for crime prevention are made.

A typology of multiple-perpetrator rape.

Some consistency in existing typologies of rape has been found, which have extended from lone to multiple perpetrator offenses. The current study sought to explore the facets of multiple-perpetrator rape (MPR) in a sample representative of one geographical area. Seventy-five victim statements of MPR reported to an urban police force in the United Kingdom were classified into a qualitative model denoting offender actions in MPR. Four types from pathways through the model were produced: violence, criminality, intimacy, and sexuality. Analysis of the crime scene variables provided additional evidence of the four types. Finally, the associations between the four types and offense characteristics, such as victim and perpetrator age, were explored. Implications of these findings for the prevention and investigation of MPR are discussed along with suggestions for future research directions.

Understanding criminal investigation.

List of Figures and Tables. List of Abbreviations. About the Authors. Series Preface. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1 Introduction: A Brief History of Criminal Investigation ( Stephen Tong ). 2 Theories of Criminal Investigation ( Robin P. Bryant ). 3 Forms of Reasoning and the Analysis of Intelligence in Criminal Investigation ( Robin P. Bryant ). 4 Offender Profiling ( Miranda A. H. Horvath ). 5 Eyewitness Evidence ( Miranda A. H. Horvath ). 6 Investigative Interviewing ( Lynsey Gozna and Miranda A. H. Horvath ). 7 Assessing Performance: Quantity or Quality? ( Stephen Tong ). 8 Criminal Investigation in Context ( Stephen Tong, Robin P. Bryant and Miranda A. H. Horvath ). 9 Professionalising Investigation ( Stephen Tong ). 10 Conclusion: Future Challenges in Criminal Investigation ( Stephen Tong, Robin P. Bryant and Miranda A. H. Horvath) . References. Index.

Lads’ Mags, Young Men’s Attitudes towards women and acceptance of myths about sexual aggression:

This commentary is a precursor to a forthcoming study exploring young men’s consumption of ‘lads’ mags’ – lifestyle magazines aimed at young men that feature young women in sexualized poses – specifically, their implications for men’s attitudes towards women and sexual aggression. Here we give an overview of existing research that has informed our research questions, in order to initiate discussions about the impacts of lads’ mags on male readers. We argue that in an increasingly sexualized media environment, lads’ mags serve as a powerful tool in the mainstreaming of sexist images and ideals. Whilst we acknowledge the complexity of debates on whether sexually explicit materials cause individuals to be more violent/aggressive, we propose that there is nevertheless merit in exploring lads’ mags as a genre that affects readers’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, women, sex and sexuality.

Reconstructing and sequencing behaviours in multiple perpetrator rape

Abstract Much of the existing knowledge base of multiple perpetrator rape (MPR) comes from studies undertaken more than 20 years ago, and thus fails to integrate contemporary perspectives on sexual violence. The current study used Grounded Theory methodology to construct a holistic model of MPR from 15 victim accounts. The model of multiple perpetrator rape (MMPR) included both the actions of the perpetrators and the reactions of the victim in a temporal sequence of 13 categories, 9 of which had sub-categories that allowed for individual differences. Broad themes of MPR were then explored using a total of 101 cases. Each case was coded in the 9 sub-categories where individual differences were allowed from the model. An associative analysis of these sub-categories was then performed using Smallest Space Analysis. Two dominant themes were displayed. The Manipulate theme included two perpetrators who offended sequentially and socialised with the victim. The Force theme did not involve any social interaction, as the force and teamwork of the group enabled the victim to be physically overpowered.

More Than a Magazine Exploring the Links Between Lads’ Mags, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Rape Proclivity

Exposure to some magazines aimed at young male readers—lads’ mags—has recently been associated with behaviors and attitudes that are derogatory toward women, including sexual violence. In the present study, a group of Spanish adult men was exposed to the covers of a lads’ mag while a second group was exposed to the covers of a neutral magazine. Results showed that, compared with participants in the second group, participants who were exposed to covers of lads’ mags who also showed high rape myth acceptance and legitimized the consumption of such magazines reported higher rape proclivity in a hypothetical situation. These findings suggest the need to further explore the possible detrimental effects of some sexualized media that are widely accepted in many Western countries.

The Influence of Magazines on Men: Normalizing and Challenging Young Men’s Prejudice with ‘Lads’ Mags’

Social psychologists have argued that popular U.K. and U.S. men’s magazines known as “lads’ mags” have normalized hostile sexism among young men. Three studies develop this argument. First, a survey of 423 young U.K. men found that ambivalent sexism predicted attitudes toward the consumption of lads’ mags, but not other forms of direct sexual consumption (paying for sex or patronizing strip clubs). Second, Study 2 (N = 81) found that young men low in sexism rated sexist jokes as less hostile toward women, but not as either funnier nor more ironic, when those jokes were presented within a lads’ mags context. These findings refute the idea that young men readily read lads’ mags’ sexism as ironic or “harmless fun.” They show instead that placing sexist jokes in lads’ mags contexts makes them appear less hostile. The third study (N = 275) demonstrated that young men perceived lads’ mags as less legitimate after attempting to distinguish the contents of lads’ mags from rapists’ legitimations of their crimes. Implications for contemporary studies of masculinities and consumption are discussed.

A question of commitment – improving practitioner responses to domestic and sexual violence, problematic substance use and mental ill‐health

Purpose – AVA (Against Violence & Abuse) is funded by the Department of Health to deliver the Stella Project Mental Health Initiative. This project aims to develop and implement models of good practice for responding to survivors and perpetrators of abuse who also have a dual diagnosis. Marking the projects halfway point, this article aims to review what is already understood to be best practice in this area, to present the initial learning from the project evaluation, and to consider the most effective ways of promoting and enabling behaviour change among practitioners.Design/methodology/approach – The research design for the evaluation is a mixed methods evaluation, drawing on both prospective and retrospective research techniques. The design was developed within an action research framework.Findings – In line with other research, levels of routine enquiry or enquiry about experiences of violence were low amongst staff from all organisations participating in the project. In comparison staff seem somewh...