A first-person account of the aftermath of sexual abuse that was published by the Center for Investigative Reporting’s online journal, Reveal, on Aug. 11 cites research by Professor Rose Corrigan.

The article, “Justice Isn’t Always Done for Child Sexual Abuse – I Know Firsthand,” provides a detailed account of a journalist’s experience after she reported sexual abuse that had occurred 25 years before, when her gym coach fondled her.   

Journalist Tennessee Watson reported incidents that had occurred when she was just 7 to protect other children from being harmed, but found that many prosecutors are unwilling to track -- much less pursue -- such cases and that the hurdles are high for those who do.

Watson’s experience was consistent with the research done by Corrigan who has studied the experience of rape survivors in the legal and health care systems.

Based on her interviews with victim advocates in six states and research she’s conducted on low rates of prosecutions for sexual assault, “middling to bad is what to expect,” Corrigan told Watson.

In her 2013 New York University Press book, “Up Against a Wall: Rape Reform and the Failure of Success,” Corrigan cites the reluctance of police and prosecutors to bring charges in rape cases.