Male sexual victimisation and the specialist officer: a critical analysis of the police response to adult males

This thesis addressed the under-researched area of male sexual victimisation as it related to policing, specifically in relation to specialist officers known as Sexual Offences Investigative Techniques (SOIT) officers. SOIT officers are held to be vital to rape investigation, their main purpose being to support survivors throughout investigations, as well as being responsible for some initial evidence gathering and liaising with investigators. As the main contact within the police for survivors, the way SOITs conduct themselves with survivors is paramount. Despite this, the role of SOITs in the police response to male survivors of sexual victimisation has not been reviewed since Jamel (2008). From a review of the literature, four research questions were identified: (1) How do male survivors of sexual offences in adulthood view the police and interpret their experiences of the police? (2) How are SOIT officers trained and prepared for their role? (3) What impact do SOIT officers have on the experiences of male survivors of sexual offences in adulthood? (4) What are the experiences of SOIT officers in supporting male survivors of sexual offences in adulthood? Using the theoretical perspective of hegemonic masculinity, data was gathered through interviews and a questionnaire with SOITs, counsellors, and male survivors and analysed through thematic analysis with the aid of a qualitative software package, NVivo. The findings suggested a lack of experience and training of SOITs concerning male survivors, and largely negative experiences with the police on behalf of survivors, with three themes being identified: The Effective SOIT, Gender, and The Male Experience, consistent with hegemonic masculinity. This thesis concludes with recommendations to police services and the College of Policing to improve the police response to male survivors of sexual victimisation.