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"Rape: Challenging Contemporary Thinking - 10 years on takes stock of current thinking and research about rape and the way it is handled in practice within the criminal justice system, as well as challenging some of the widely held but inaccurate beliefs about rape. The second edition of Rape Challenging Contemporary Thinking - 10 years on, is not a traditional new edition, although it does provide updated versions of substantive issues covered in the first edition. Bringing the book to the cutting edge, it incorporates both old and new contexts where sexual exploitation takes place identifying some knowledge gaps especially when considering voices of complainants/victims/survivors who are invisible or muted. numerous new areas of research including the implications arising from #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, the limitations of our present criminal justice systems, and radical alternatives to closing the justice gap. The new book reflects the global reach of research and thinking about rape, including more international coverage, with material for the India, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK. In order to learn from our shared history in this field and two authors reflect on their careers and other authors were encouraged others to move away from conventional academic formats to convey their stories. Bringing together leading researchers in the field from psychology, sociology and law, considering new research and presenting new data from a strong theoretical and contextual base, the chapters are provocative and engage in innovative thinking, whilst remaining grounded in the available evidence. This book is essential reading for students of criminology, forensic psychology, sociology, criminal justice, law, media studies and women's/gender studies. It also aims to inform professionals engaged in the investigation, prosecution of rape, support and preventative services"--

"In the decade since the publication of the first edition of The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology, the field has expanded into areas such as social work and education, while maintaining the interest of criminal justice researchers and policy makers. This new edition provides cutting-edge and comprehensive coverage of the key theoretical perspectives, assessment methods, and interventions in forensic psychology. The chapters address substantive topics such as acquisitive crime, domestic violence, mass murder, and sexual violence, while also exploring emerging areas of research such as the expansion of cybercrime, particularly child sexual exploitation, as well as aspects of terrorism and radicalisation. Reflecting the global reach of forensic psychology and its wide range of perspectives, the international team of contributors emphasise diversity and cross-reference between adults, adolescents, and children to deliver a contemporary picture of the discipline"--

1. Introduction / Jessica Woodhams and Miranda A.H. Horvath -- 2. Multiple perpetrator rape : an international phenomenon / Teresa da Silva, Leigh Harkins and Jessica Woodhams -- 3. Masculinity, status, and power : implicit messages in Western media discourse on high-profile cases of multiple perpetrator rape / Karen Franklin -- 4. Numbers matter : characteristic differences between lone, duo and 3+ group rapes / MacKenzie Lambine -- 5. Group sexual offending : comparing adolescent female with adolescent male offenders / Jan Hendriks, Miriam Wukman and Catrien Buleveld -- 6. Busting the 'gang-rape' myth : girls' victimisation and agency in gang-associated sexual violence / Carlene Firmin -- 7. Streamlining : understanding gang rape in South Africa / Rachel Jewkes and Yandisa Sikweyiya -- 8. Multiple perpetrator rape during war / Elisabeth J. Wood -- 9. Leadership and role-taking in multiple perpetrator rape / Louise Porter -- 10. Offender aggression and violence in multiple perpetrator rape / Jessica Woodhams -- 11. Multiple perpetrator rape victimization : how it differs and why it matters / Sarah E. Ullman -- 12. Multiple perpetrator rape in the courtroom / Miranda A.H. Horvath and Jacqueline M. Gray -- 13. Multiple perpetrator rape offenders : treatment issues / Talia Etgar -- 14. Girls and gangs : preventing multiple perpetrator rape / James A. Densley, Allen Davis and Nick Mason -- 15. THe next steps / Miranda A.H. Horvath and Jessica Woodhams.

This comprehensive volume deciphers investigative process and practice, providing an authoritative insight into key debates and contemporary issues in crime investigations: Provides critical examination of investigative practice by focusing on the key issues and debates underpinned by academic literature on crime investigation; Outlines the theoretical explanations that provide an understanding of crime investigation and the context in which investigators operate; Illustrates the practical relevance of theoretical contributions to crime investigation; Places clear emphasis on the multi-discipl

Purpose
There is a surprising lack of underpinning evidence relating to how police specialism is defined, conceived and operationalised nationally. This study aims to shed light on the development of specialism, adding insights towards academic and police knowledge on the topic.


Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory research was conducted to draw evidence on police specialism in England and Wales according to publications in the literature and insights from high-ranking police officers. A total of 57 documents and 10 officers' accounts were thematically analysed. Five main themes have been identified, relating to the development, impact and barriers of specialist units, knowledge and training.


Findings
Socio-cultural, policy-based and historical information that contributed to the development of specialism in its contemporary form were discussed. The conceptual triggers for the institution of most specialist units were disasters and a need for modernisation. In both cases, police forces were faced with the inability to keep up with emerging threats and new criminal techniques. Some exceptions apply, with specialisms of sex offences still being underdeveloped and underfunded compared to other crimes. Overall, although specialism has the potential to positively impact police efficacy, the specialist knowledge of officers working within specialist units is frequently inferred – rather than measured.


Practical implications
Organisational support and the quality of training impact specialism effectiveness. The substantial lack of resources allocated to specialism means that training for some crime types is either unavailable or difficult to complete. Police officers fear that specialism might lead to elitism and corrupt police practices. There is no evidence, however, that elitist beliefs are the direct result of specialism or rather additional co-occurring organisational, cultural and force-specific or role-dependant factors. Police officers' wellbeing and specialist capacity take a significant toll.


Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this was the first modern study of its kind that investigated how police specialism is conceived, instituted and prioritised in England and Wales.

Research suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic reports of rapes and serious sexual offences to the authorities have declined while calls to domestic violence helplines have soared. This article focuses on the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on reporting to the police in cases of rape, serious sexual offences and domestic abuse in one police force in England. Data from the force's crime reporting system was provided from 2018 to 2021, including over 10,000 reports of rapes and serious sexual offences and over 5,000 reports of domestic abuse. An Interrupted Time Series analysis was used to evaluate the impact of lockdown on reporting rates, with segmented regression to measure the changes in reporting before and after the start of the pandemic in March 2020. This article is the first of its kind to explore the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and domestic violence at more than an aggregate level, demonstrating how COVID-19 has had a variable impact on different groups of victims, and how stay at home orders specifically have impacted on reporting rates. These data provide novel and valuable insights into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reporting of sexual violence and domestic abuse.

Abstract
Purpose
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) cases remain under-reported and under-prosecuted in the criminal justice system (CJS), with researchers frequently having limited access to raw police data. Here, a range of factors relating to DVA offences occurring between 2018 and 2020 in one large English police force were described and measured. As part of the research, it was investigated if victim, suspect and crime characteristics predicted outcome decisions, specifically charge rate, case attrition, and evidential difficulties despite victims' support in pursuing the allegations. The number of offences meeting the DVA legal definition, and those falling outside that definition, were also explored.

Methods
Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to predict the relationship between demographic information and criminal history on three coded crime outcome categories (namely, 'charge', 'victim does not proceed', and 'law does not pursue').

Results
The dataset included 198,617 crimes, and for 94.1% of them, the suspect was not charged. Relationship type, age, crime type, and the number of victim allegations predicted all three outcomes. For instance, being partners of the victim significantly decreased the chances of a charge compared to suspects who were not partners.

Conclusions
The findings are in line with evidence from the literature which highlights all-time low charge rates for DVA and high levels of victim attrition. We argue that the influence of victim/suspect characteristics and DVA-related dynamics should be considered by police personnel and members of the CJS when assessing crime reports.

This commentary responds to claims that research by Cheryl Thomas 'shows' no problem with rape myths in English and Welsh juries. We critique the claim on the basis of ambiguous survey design, a false distinction between 'real' jurors and other research participants, the conflation of attitudes in relation to abstract versus applied rape myths, and misleading interpretation of the data. Ultimately, we call for a balanced appraisal of individual studies by contextualising them against the wider literature.