Projects

July 2026: “Signaling” In Rape Reports

Teaching a computer to detect innuendo involves using natural language processing to identify potential hidden bias, tone, and negative "signaling” about a victim’s credibility in police report narratives. Pioneering research led by Cleveland State University criminologist Dr. Rachel Lovell and funded by the National Institute of Justice applied natural language processing to analyze thousands of police incident reports for underlying skepticism toward victims (1, 2). She summarizes this research in the latest open-access, special issue on Technology in Policing in Applied Police Briefings (Full article) (3). Applied Police Briefings takes peer-reviewed policing research and summarizes it into short, jargon-free briefs for police practitioners and other stakeholders.

1. Lovell, R. E., Klingenstein, J., Du, J., Overman, L., Sabo, D., Ye, X., & Flannery, D. J. (2023). Using machine
   learning to assess rape reports: Sentiment analysis detection of officers’ “signaling” about victims’
   credibility. Journal of Criminal Justice, 88, 102106. 
    
2. Lovell, R. E., Klingenstein, J., Du, J., Overman, L., Sabo, D., Ye, X., & Flannery, D. J. (2023). Using machine
   learning to assess rape reports: “Signaling” words about victims’ credibility that predict investigative and
   prosecutorial outcomes. Journal of Criminal Justice, 88, 102107.
    
3. Lovell, R. E. (2026). Teaching a Computer to Detect Innuendo or “Signaling” About Victim’s Credibility in Rape 
   Reports: Lessons for Law Enforcement. Applied Police Briefings, 3, 34. 

Recent funding provided by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, has allowed CRC's research team to partner with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to develop and evaluate a comprehensive, evidence-based, LGBTQIA+ youth-focused human trafficking screener and toolkit for providers and advocates. It is estimated that nearly 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, compared to 7% of the general population which is often attributed to a lack of family support, prior abuse or neglect, school bullying, and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ youth. Being without stable housing and social supports puts youth at higher risk of trafficking and exploitation. Traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of homeless youth and compel them into sex or labor trafficking. This partnership will build the capacity of local service providers to better identify and connect youth to much-needed services.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative will allow Criminology Research Center's Dr. Rachel Lovell to partner with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office's Sexual Assault Kit Task Force on an action research project to evaluate the Task Force's effort to leverage forensic data from sexual assault kits to help identify, investigate, and prosecute sexual offenders. The Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force is a multidisciplinary group of prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates, forensic scientists, and other criminal justice partners dedicated to the testing, investigation, and prosecution of sexual assault cases arising from previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) in Cuyahoga County. Dr. Lovell's research has the potential to inform and reform current policy and practice in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases in Cuyahoga county.