Special Release Episode
Just the Cost of Speaking Up: Why Victims and Witnesses Stay Silent
In this special release episode, Just Science sat down with Stacy Sechrist, community violence researcher at RTI International, Jesse Brey, criminal justice researcher and PhD student at Temple University, and Harrod Emmanuel Clay Jr., pastor and community-based advocate, to discuss findings from RTI’s Victim and Witness Participation research project, which is supported by the philanthropy Arnold Ventures.
For individuals who have experienced or witnessed severe community violence, there is often hesitation to report the crime, participate in law enforcement interviews, or engage in court proceedings. To better understand these barriers, community violence researchers at RTI International and Temple University conducted interviews with individuals who had recently experienced incidents of severe community violence, and found that fear of retaliation, concerns about social consequences, and poor communication from law enforcement are among the most significant obstacles to victim and witness engagement in the criminal legal system. Listen along as Stacy, Jesse, and Pastor Clay describe the importance of giving victims and witnesses a voice after violent crime, common themes found across the research interviews, and important considerations for improving the legal system’s response to victim and witness participation.
This episode is funded by RTI International’s Justice Practice Area.
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
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Past Season
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2025
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month; a national campaign which aims to support sexual assault survivors while also highlighting innovations in sexual assault response and prevention. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness month, Just Science host and forensic scientist, Mikalaa Martin, sat down with several subject matter experts to discuss innovative methods for sexual assault evidence processing and workflows.
This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU).
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Listen to all podcast episodes here: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify, & YouTube Podcasts!