Association of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs Annual Conference Bea Hanson Principal Deputy Director Office on Violence Against Women U.S. Department of Justice

The Mission of the Office on Violence Against Women To provide federal leadership in developing and expanding the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women. To administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Sexual Assault and Rape Between two-third’s and three quarters of all rapes are never reported to the criminal justice system, and among those that are reported, attrition at various levels dramatically reduces the number of actual prosecutions. Understanding the Predatory Nature of Sexual Violence, David Lisak, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Why is a Change to the UCR Definition of Rape Important? More than 1 million women are raped in a year

“Rape is rape is rape” - Vice President Biden Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the US have been raped at some time in their lives, translating to approximately 22 million women and 1.6 million men

Victimization Starts Early in Life Approximately 80% of female victims experienced first rape before age 25 and almost half before age 18 About 35% of women who were raped as minors were also raped as adults 28% of male victims of rape were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger

Serial and Crossover Offending The majority of this violence is committed by predatory individuals who tend to be serial and multi-faceted offenders. Understanding the Predatory Nature of Sexual Violence, David Lisak, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Three Fundamental Realities: 1. Most interpersonal violence is perpetrated by individuals who in some way are known to the victim. 2. Most of this violence is never reported to authorities. 3. Most perpetrators of this violence are never prosecuted.

The Case of College Students:  19% of undergraduate women reported experiencing completed or attempted sexual assault since entering college  Most assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, and perpetrators are often serial offenders  Only 2% of incapacitated rape victims reported the assault to law enforcement

History and Background O LD D EFINITION Forcible rape: The carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will. - Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Summary Reporting System (SRS)

Collaboration The White House Survivors and Advocates The Department of Justice State and Local Law Enforcement

Implementation Police Executive Research Forum Survey of over 500 police chiefs nationwide: 80% felt current definition was inadequate 96% felt updates to definition would not be a significant barrier to reporting UCR data 50% estimated the financial impact of implementing change to be zero 26% estimated the impact at under $15,000

Chronology / Timeline Senate Hearing Raising Questions about UCR: September 14, 2010 White House and DOJ meetings, including meetings with stakeholders: Summer 2011 CJIS Regional Workgroups: August 16-18, 2011 (PERF Meeting: September 23, 2011) Feedback gathered from NSA: September and October 2011 CJIS UCR Subcommittee: October 18, 2011 CJIS Advisor Policy Board (APB): December 6, 2011 FBI Director Mueller Approves Change: December 21, 2011 Change Announced by Attorney General: January 6, 2012

The New Definition The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.

Office on Violence Against Women Programs and Resources  Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders (Arrest Program)  STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to States

Questions

Contact Bea Hanson, Principal Deputy Director Office on Violence Against Women U.S. Department of Justice (202)