Myths, Gender Norms, and Implicit Bias: Silent Killers of Sexual Assault Juries

Sexual assault cases can be some of the most difficult to prosecute.  Even when the evidence is there, juries often make decisions based on stereotypes and implicit biases that have plagued our society for decades.  This training focuses on Start by Believing, a public awareness campaign started by EVAWI, designed to improve the public response to sexual assault.  The goal is to provide communities, inevitably citizens who are potential jurors, with factual information surrounding what rape truly looks like, how our implicit biases can shape our judgment of victims and perpetrators, and how this trauma can affect victims’ reactions and decisions.  Through this campaign, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh strives to improve how sexual assault cases are handled in our community and ultimately hold more perpetrators accountable.  Every response matters.