Write 100 word paragraph replying to each one of the two students postings below. Student 1) Even though the Criminal Justice system has come a long way in regards to the crimes of rape and sexual assault, it still has a way to go. In "Criminal Violence: Patterns, Explanations, and Interventions: Fourth Edition" it states, "many critics have perceived serious problems with the legal definitions of rape and how rape cases are processed in court" (Riedel & Welsh, n.d., pg. 119). One of the main reasons a lot of rape and sexual assault incidents gets swept under the rug is because the victims don't report it. The article "Survivors of sexual violence are let down by the criminal justice system – here’s what should happen next" states, "Over 80% of survivors never report their experiences to the police" (McCarthy-Jones, 2020), which makes sexual assault the most unreported crime against a person. Most of the reasons victims don't report this are due to fear and shame. The next problem is how the criminal justice system decides to handle the cases. The text "Criminal Violence: Patterns, Explanations, and Interventions: Fourth Edition" also states, "Responses to rape and sexual assault have often been contradictory and ambiguous" (Riedel & Welsh, n.d., pg. 129). Many survivors are often accused of lying when they seek justice and help, and when going through questioning the victims can go through extreme trauma from having to recall the initial assault in such great detail. And, after going through all of that questioning and PTSD often the victim still gets swept under the rug to try and preserve their rapist's image and reputation. This happens a lot in colleges when an athlete rapes or sexually assaults a victim, but ends up getting off with a slap on the wrist to preserve his and the school's reputation. References: McCarthy-Jones, S. (2020, October 07). Survivors of sexual violence are let down by the criminal justice system – here's what should happen next. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/survivors-of-sexual-violence-are-let-down-by-the-criminal-justice-system-heres-what-should-happen-next-94138 (Links to an external site.) Riedel, M., & Welsh, W. N. (n.d.). Criminal Violence. Retrieved from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/576845/sp/179828183/mi/572911130?cfi=%2F4%2F4 Student 2) According to the PowerPoint, just about 42% of the rapes identified have been cleared with an indictment. A survey conducted in Canada showed that the authorities were informed of just 6% of sexual assaults (Mont & Myhr, 2000). One of the main reasons this incident is not recorded is that there is a fear that their authenticity and reputation will be challenged by police and prosecutors. Sexual assault victims who report the incident and are prepared to collaborate with police and prosecutors as the case goes forward may face representatives in criminal justice who are suspicious of their claims and who doubt their integrity. The officers make the decision of whether or not a crime has actually occurred and they also decide how much resources go into the matter. Such gatekeeping decisions, which largely decide the fate of the case, do not generally yield the result that the claimant expected: conviction and successful trial. The effect of victim traits, including the age, employment, and education of the victim; conduct of "risk-taking" such as hitchhiking, gambling, or using substances; and the victim's personality or credibility. These victim traits are more likely to influence charging decisions in situations in which friends or family partners are the victim and suspect. Credibility is one of the main problems and influences decision-making too much. References: Mont, J. D., & Myhr, T. L. (2000, October). So few convictions: The role of client-related characteristics in the legal processing of sexual assaults. https://www.ojp.gov/library/abstracts/so-few-convictions-role-client-related-characteristics-legal-processing-sexual Reply Reply to Comment