05/12/2026
By Karen Mullins
The School of Criminology and Justice Studies is proud to announce a Dissertation Proposal Defense by Corrie McCue, entitled "Procedural Justice, Police Policy, and Secondary Victimization: A Critical Review of Sexual Assault Reporting Policies and their Unintended Consequences."
Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Location: 431 Health and Social Sciences Building and via Zoom
Committee:
- Kelly Socia, Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, UML, (Chair)
- John Cluverius, Associate Professor, Political Science department, UML
- Christopher Harris, Associate Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, UML
- Jason Rydberg, Associate Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, UML
Abstract:
Research considering reports of sexual assault consistently demonstrate that negative interactions with law enforcement officers can generate secondary victimization, compounding the trauma of the original assault and discouraging further engagement with the criminal justice system. This highlights a critical issue in contemporary policing: those tasked with assisting victims of crime and holding offenders accountable may, in practice, produce environments that alienate the very individuals they intend to protect. The proposed study intends to critically evaluate police department policies governing the reporting and investigation of sexual assault. Using policy analysis techniques and interviews with police officers, this research will examine law enforcement’s alignment with the principles of procedural justice theory, and identify potential unintended consequences for victims, such as secondary victimization. This research ultimately contributes to theoretical and practical understandings of how policing can move beyond compliance-based policing toward just, trauma-informed practices that are more likely to affirm survivor dignity and enhance legitimacy through moral recognition rather than bureaucratic control.