Rape Prevalence and Dynamics

Sexual Assault For the purpose of this presentation, sexual assault is defined as any sort of sexual activity between at least two adults in which at least one of the people is involved against his or her will Physical force may or may not be used

Definition of Rape Noncensensual sexual penetration of an adolescent or adult obtained by physical force, by threat of bodily harm, or at such time when the victim is incapable of giving consent by virtue of mental illness, mental retardation, or intoxication

Definitional Issues Any intrusion of the person’s body, however slight, qualifies as sexual penetration Emission of semen is not required

Forms of Sexual Violence Forms of rape include: –Vaginal, oral, or anal sex or penetration with an object (rape) Forms of sexual assault include: –Unwanted touching or grabbing in a sexual manner

Reporting of Sexual Assault Reported cases of sexual assault appear to be only a trace of actual events Only approximately 32% of sexual assaults are reported to the police Underreporting may occur for a variety of reasons including: –Many victims are acquainted with their attackers and may not consider the event an assault –Victims may fear retaliation from perpetrators –Victims may fear they will not be believed by police –Others knowing, i.e., stigma (Koss, Gidycz & Wisniewski, 1987; U.S. Department of Justice, 2002)

Incidence Rates Uniform Crime Reports –Rates simply based on reported crimes –80 victimizations per 100,000 (1990 estimates) –Vast underestimate

National Crime Victimization Survey Interviews occur every six months. Once the family is designated to be included in the assessment, they stay in for three years Most interviews are conducted by telephone Respondents are representative of the general population

Previous Screening Questions Did someone try to attack you in some other way Definition is outmoded: –Excludes spouses, other forms of penetration, consent exclusion –Excludes multiple incidents Detection rates were low Surveys lacked confidentiality Difficulties with rapport Language is confusing High risk groups excluded (homeless, college students in residence halls, etc.)

More Sensitive Screening Questions Behaviorally specific questions reduce likelihood of respondent relying on stereotypic definitions of rape (Example Question) Has a man or boy ever made you have sex by using force or threatening or harm you or someone close to you? Just so there is no mistake, by sex we mean putting a penis in your vagina?

In a 12-month period, it is estimated that 302,100 women and 92,700 men experience an event they label as rape Women: –17% to 24% of women experience rape in their lifetime Men: –3% of men experience rape in their lifetime College Women: –20% of female college students indicate having experienced a rape –15% of female college students indicate having experienced a rape since the age of 15 (Brenner, McMahon & Douglas, 1999; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000) Incidence of Rape

Who are the Perpetrators? In a recent study, 76% of adult women who were sexually assaulted were attacked by someone they knew: husbands, partners, dates, etc. (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000)

Risk Factors for Sexual Assault Female Gender : –87% of rape survivors are women Younger Age : –54% of rapes occur to victims under age 18 (22% before age 12) Minority Race/Ethnicity : –American Indian and Alaskan Native women are at especially high risk; 34% reported being raped –African American (19%) and Caucasian Women (18%) are also at high risk Previous Sexual Assaults : –Women assaulted prior to age 18 are twice as likely to be assaulted as adults (Department of Justice, 2003; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000)