Factors Related to Rape Victims’ Decision to File Police Reports

Victims of rape must decide whether to file a police report, and many victims decide not to report the rape to the police. The literature on the associations between demographic and individual factors and reporting rape to the police is limited. Here, we investigated the associations between demographic and individual factors (education, socioeconomic status, age, native country, years lived in Finland, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, close persons, substance use, and mental disorder) and police reporting in a Finnish sample of rape victims (N = 191) from the Helsinki Seri Support Center. We collected data through an online survey. We found that victims with a university degree were less likely to report than those with a vocational qualification. None of the other factors measured were robustly associated with reporting. It is possible that the Seri Support Center successfully mitigates otherwise encountered obstacles to reporting. The present study was the first to investigate this topic in Finland. The practical implications of these findings are discussed, and the value of support services highlighted.

Penerapan Asas Mempersulit Proses Perceraian Pada Persidangan di Pengadilan Agama Bengkulu

Marriage is a physical and mental bond between a man and a woman as husband and wife with the aim of forming a happy and eternal family (household) based on the One Godhead. But in reality, there are still many households that end up in divorce. To prevent divorce in the household, positive marriage law in Indonesia adheres to the principle of complicating divorce, the application of which is manifested in the necessity for reasons as regulated in law and divorce can only be made with a decision to file will be implemented at the time of the divorce process in court Religion. This research aims to understand the application of the principle of complicating divorce in the Bengkulu Class 1A Religious Court, with the following problems: What are the factors causing the divorce in the Bengkulu Class 1A Religious Court and, how does the implementation of the principle complicate the divorce process in the divorce trial at the Bengkulu Religious Court. For the purposes of this study, empirical research methods are used, which directly search for data in the field. In analyzing the field data, sociological analysis and normative analysis were used to obtain comprehensive analysis results. Based on the results of field research, it was concluded that divorce in Bengkulu was generally based on economic reasons, and consecutively due to domestic violence, and reasons for having an affair. Of the reasons put forward by the parties who filed for or sue for divorce, most of them are due to economic reasons.

The Sexual Stratification Hypothesis and Prosecuting Sexual Assault: Is the Decision to File Charges Influenced by the Victim-Suspect Racial-Ethnic Dyad?

The sexual stratification hypothesis (SSH) posits that criminal-legal responses to sexual victimization differ depending on the victim-suspect racial-ethnic dyad. Existing tests of the SSH have resulted in inconsistent findings. Using data from 389 sexual assault (SA) complaints reported to Los Angeles police and referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, this study examines whether the victim-suspect racial-ethnic dyad and extra-legal victim-related factors shape prosecutorial initial filing decisions. Notably, we build on previous SSH tests by rotating racial-ethnic dyad reference categories to catalog all possible pairwise differences within the set of dummy variables. Findings suggest that prosecutors consider the victim-suspect racial-ethnic dyad and victim-related factors during initial filing. Theoretical advancements, practical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Taxpayer Service Provision and Tax Compliance: Evidence for Large Taxpayers in Jamaica

This research examines the effect of the provision of taxpayer services on filing and payment compliance for the corporate income tax (CIT) and general consumption tax (GCT) for large taxpayers in Jamaica. We focus on taxpayer’s decision to file and pay taxes conditional on reporting positive tax liabilities. The empirical strategy adopts a regression discontinuity design that exploits an exogenous jump in the intensity of taxpayer service delivery that occurs at an arbitrary gross receipts threshold. The results indicate null effects for the CIT where enforcement is relatively weak but positive filing and payment compliance effects for the GCT where enforcement is stronger. This is suggestive of a complementarity between the enforcement strength of the tax regime and service delivery.

Women victims of domestic violence: a phenomenological approach

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of women victims of domestic violence. The study entailed phenomenological research based on the theoretical framework of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, developed with ten women who were victims of domestic violence treated at a women's healthcare center in a municipality in the interior of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Nuclei of meanings emerged from the statements, based on the analysis of the phenomenon of violence from the interviews, and led to the following themes: living with fear; living with physical injuries; and the decision to file a report after the violence experienced. The results showed that the experience lived and contained in these women's bodies enabled each one of them to evaluate their own existence, arousing the desire to leave the situation in order to exercise their role in the world. Thus, their bodies instrumentalized their beings, and allowed them to break the cycle of domestic violence.

Crisis and Bankruptcy: The Mediating Role of State Law, 1920–1932

The onset of the Great Depression did not spark a surge in personal bankruptcy. For debtors in default, state garnishment law played a significant role in the decision to file for bankruptcy. Only states that made it easy to garnish a debtor's wages experienced significant increases in bankruptcy as a consequence of the Depression.

Key Determinants of a Mother's Decision to File for Child Support

About one-third of custodial mothers choose not to pursue a child support award even though it can be a significant source of income. A qualitative study was conducted with 43 mothers who have each had at least one child in a nonmarital relationship, to learn more about how mothers make the decision to file or not file for child support. The findings indicate that a key determinant in a mother's decision is the quality of her relationship with the father: a mother is less likely to file when the relationship is good and more likely to file when the relationship is poor or has ended. Other key determinants are family influence and availability of information about filing. Visitation was not found to influence these decisions. Unfortunately, mothers are often making their decisions without access to accurate and timely information. Social workers frequently are employed in settings that serve families faced with decisions about child support, and have numerous opportunities for intervention by providing both information and guidance about the decision.