Start by Believing to Improve Response to Sexual Assault & Prevent Gender Bias
In this training bulletin, prosecution expert Herb Tanner delves into questions that have been raised with the philosophy of Start by Believing, and other victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches. In particular, he addresses one specific manner of attack: Defense cross-examination aimed at exposing the law enforcement investigation of a sexual assault as biased.
Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
The profound impact of implicit bias on criminal justice processing is highlighted in this guidance published by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2015. The DOJ guidance clearly calls on law enforcement agencies to recognize and eliminate bias.
Gender Bias in Sexual Assault Response and Investigation
EVAWI offers a Training Bulletin series designed to explore the phenomenon of gender bias, both explicit (conscious) and implicit (unconscious), and the resulting stereotypes and attitudes that can influence the professional response to, and investigation of, sexual assault. We explore strategies that can be used to identify the presence of implicit gender bias and mitigate its influence, and address key questions about how implicit gender bias can disadvantage (or advantage) either the victim and/or suspect.