"Victim-Suspect Relationship in Sexual Assault Cases Reported to Law Enforcement: Alaska and National Data," the third issue of the Justice Center Research Overview, provides an overview of key research findings nationally and in Alaska on the relationships between victims and suspects in sexual assault cases.This research overview compares data on victim-suspect relationships in sexual assault cases reported in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) with information from three Alaska studies — the Anchorage Police Department (APD) study of sexual assaults reported to APD from 2000 to 2003; the Alaska Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) study of sexual assault nurse examinations conducted in Anchorage (1996–2004), Bethel and Fairbanks (2005–2006), and Homer, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, and Soldotna (2005); and the Alaska State Trooper (AST) study of sexual assaults reported to AST in 2003 and 2004.
Relationships between victims and suspects in sexual assault cases have important implications for policy. In particular, stranger assaults are more likely to be reported to police.
