Date of Conferral

11-11-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Kimberley Blackmon

Abstract

Sexual assault is a pervasively dangerous crime affecting persons of all ages, races, and genders, both in the United States and globally. Essential in the safeguarding of American citizens, U.S. law enforcement officers are among the first responders on scene to investigate reports of sexual assault claims. However, echoed in previous research are the sentiments of victim-survivors who experienced negative encounters with officers who exhibited an implicit lack of victim-centered training and were dismissive in their investigative approach. Consequently, this gap in the literature requires exploration; therefore, this study focuses on the lived experiences of U.S. law enforcement officers and the challenges they face while investigating sexual assault victim reports. Max Weber’s construct of social action theory is a framework of four ideal types (instrumentally rational, value rational, affective, and traditional) used in assessing and analyzing factors that influence a person's actions through their choices within an organization. This study is a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study conducted by collecting data from individual interviews with ten LEOs, participants possessing a minimum of 5 years of experience as sexual assault responders. The data collected was analyzed using Microsoft Word, NVivo, and thematic analysis. The study shows that social and occupational factors, including limited access to mental health services, have a significant impact on officers. It is recommended that law enforcement agencies increase their diligence in providing mandatory, trauma-informed training. This empowers community partnerships to promote access to mental health resources by implementing necessary organizational programs, thereby encouraging positive social change.

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