The Word of a Woman?

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

   PDF

2. Introduction: The Credibility Conundrum

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 1-13

3. ‘She stings while she delights’: Rape Definitions and Representations

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 14-48

4. ‘Have you really been raped?’ Criminal Justice System Responses

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 49-88

5. Beyond Belief: Police Files on Rape

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 89-136

6. Having ‘a nose for it’: How Investigators Investigate

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 137-176

7. Perfect Victims/Perfect Policing? In the Words of the Women

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 177-214

8. ‘Getting it right’: Reviewing Police Responses to Rape

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 215-241

9. Conclusion: True ‘lies’ and ‘false’ Truths

   • Jan Jordan

   Pages 242-248

10. Back Matter

    Pages 249-276

    PDF

The notion that women lie about rape is a prevalent belief with pervasive influence. This book is unique in combining police file data with interviews obtained from both rape survivors and detectives in order to critically explore how this belief affects police officers' responses to women who report rape. Examination of this material is located within a broader analysis of the historical and socio-cultural environment, and illustrates how rape investigations continue to be conducted within the context of pervasive beliefs and stereotypes regarding both the nature of rape and the nature of women.

• criminal justice
• police
• women

• Institute of Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

  Jan Jordan

JAN JORDAN is Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Criminology in Wellington, New Zealand. She teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses addressing gender and crime issues, and is a regular contributor to police training courses. Her research on rape has been published in international academic journals, and her first book, Working Girls: Women in the New Zealand Sex Industry, won national recognition and awards.

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