Policing and prosecuting sexual assault: an examination of arrest and initial filing decisions in cases involving adolescent complainants

Sexual assault case processing has steadily received increased attention from scholars, with promising implications for the criminal justice system. Despite this increase in attention, however, there remains a dearth of literature addressing adolescent sexual assault case processing. Moreover, the few studies that have examined adolescent sexual assault case processing have resulted in inconsistent findings. The present study addresses this gap in sexual assault case processing literature by using adolescent sexual assault case files from Los Angeles County to assess the decision-making factors that influence arrest (N = 205) and initial charge filing (N = 152). Results indicate that decisions to arrest and file initial charges in adolescent sexual assault cases are influenced by similar factors: victim cooperation, physical evidence, prompt reporting, and victim age. Exceptions include suspect age and victim credibility, which only influenced arrest decision making. Theoretical, policy, and practice implications are discussed.