2024/05/02 by Niels Raaijmakers, Alice K. Bosma, Alice Bosma +2
Social Sciences · #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Intimate Partner and Family Violence #Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/10439463.2024.2347660
openalex publication_date 2024/05/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
This study addresses police officers' identification of vulnerable victims and responses to these victims. Using an Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) approach, police officers (n = 51) responded to two scenarios regarding a victim who reported either a property crime or a stalking incident. After hearing each scenario, participants judged whether the victim was vulnerable or not and discussed which they would propose any protection measures. Findings showed that a majority of the participants identified the victim as vulnerable. Participants mainly based their judgements on indicators related to the incident or its consequences. Regardless of their judgement, participants proposed a variety of protection measures. Both this finding and the majority of vulnerability judgements suggest that police officers may act out of the principle of 'better safe than sorry'.