RESEARCH AND REPORTS

Insights To Improve Our Communities’ Response to Sexual Harm

REDEFINING JUSTICE: Reporting on Survivors of Gender-Based Violence and The Pretrial Fairness Act

This guide is a resource for members of the media who want to provide accurate information to their audiences on the Pretrial Fairness Act and its impact on survivors of gender-based violence in Illinois. It gives context to their experiences with the criminal legal system, helping reporters avoid creating a false dichotomy of justice and healing. Read more here.

Too Little, Too Late? The CPD’s Response to Sex Crimes

This 2020 research report by Madeleine Behr, CAASE Policy Manager, analyzes publically available crime data from 2010-2019. We found that survivors who reported to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) faced grossly inadequate responses. Chicago needs to greatly improve its criminal justice response to sex offenses and address sexual violence outside the criminal system because, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, the vast majority of survivors will never report to police. CAASE is calling upon Mayor Lori Lightfoot and all 50 aldermen to support survivors of gender-based violence by ensuring access to and funding for community services and prevention initiatives. We are also calling on state lawmakers to expand options for justice and restoration. Read more about the report and our key findings here.

Policing and Enforcement of Prostitution Laws in Chicago

This 2020 research report by Madeleine Behr, CAASE Policy Associate, evaluates how systems in Chicago respond to commercial sexual exploitation from police intervention through criminal case disposition. It provides recommendations for improvements and advocates for practices and policies that more effectively recognize and respond to the vulnerability and victimization of people selling sex in Chicago. Read more about the report and our key findings here.

Our Great Hobby: An Analysis of Online Networks for Buyers of Sex in Illinois

2013 research report by Lara Janson with an introduction from CAASE’s founder Rachel Durchslag. Assistant Researchers: Heather Mann, Rachel Marro, Allyson Matvey. Trigger Warning: This report contains quotations with explicit content, including descriptions of sexual violence.

A Response to Sex Trafficking Chicago Style: Follow the Sisters, Speak Out

2010 Article by Kaethe Morris Hoffer, CAASE Executive Director (former Legal Director). Published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

Deconstructing the Demand for Prostitution

2008 research report by CAASE’s former Executive Director Rachel Durchslag and Samir Goswami: CAASE’s research on 113 men who buy sex in Chicago reveals their attitudes and behaviors. Includes recommendations for how to prevent young men from becoming patrons in the sex trade.