Assignment Overview Unit 2
- The statistics reported by the Uniform Crime Reporting
- Based on statistics issued by the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), the estimated rate of legacy rape declined between 1994 and 2014.
- Based on UCR statistics, the rate of reported legacy rape in 1994 was 39.3 per 100,000 people (“Estimated Legacy Rape,” n.d).
- In 2014, the rate of legacy rape was recorded at 26.4 per 100,000 people (“Estimated Legacy Rape,” n.d).
- The statistics reveal a significant decline of approximately 12.9 per 100,000 people within twenty years.
- On the other hand, statistics by UCR reveal a significant increase in the rate of revised rape between 2013 and 2014.
- In 2013, the estimated rate of revised rape was 35.9 per 100,000 people (“Estimated Legacy Rape,” n.d).
- By 2014, the rate had risen to 36.6 per 100,000 individuals (“Estimated Legacy Rape,” n.d).
- The report shows that the rate of revised rape increased by 0.7 within one year.
- Statistics Reported by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on Rape Cases
- According to statistics by the NCVS, the rate of rape among female students between the age of 18-24 years declined significantly between 1997 and 2013
- Statistics indicate that the rate of rape cases per 1000 people was 9.2 and 4.4 in 1997 and 2013, respectively (Sinozch & Langton, 2014).
- The rate of rape cases among non-college females also declined within the same year but was significantly lower than that of the student population.
- NCVS reports reveal that the rate of rape cases per 1000 persons was 3.6 and 1.4 in 1997 and 2013, respectively (Sinozch & Langton, 2014).
- These statistics reveal an overall decline in rape cases among females.
- Strengths and Weaknesses in UCR and NCVS reporting
- Strengths and weaknesses of UCR reporting
- UCR is based on actual reports issued by law enforcement agencies regarding the number of rape cases throughout the country (“The Nation’s Two Crime,” n.d). Therefore, the data reported is reliable.
- UCR reporting fails to capture rape cases unreported to law enforcement, thus, raising concerns about the exact trend of rape in the country.
- UCR exclusively measures rape crimes against women, making its scope narrow.
- Strengths and Weaknesses of NCVS reporting
- NCVS provides statistics on both reported and unreported rapes cases to law enforcement agencies (“The Nation’s Two Crime,” n.d). Therefore, it provides a clearer picture of the trend of rape crimes against men and women in the country.
- Data collected through interviews may not be reliable, as victims of rape cases may be vulnerable and provide inaccurate information.
- Definition of Date Rape
- Based on the literature, date rape is “a type of sexual assault where the victim and the offender are in or have been, in some form of personal social relationship” (Jenkins & Petherick, 2014). This implies that sexual intercourse in date rape is forcible, and the rape offender is often an individual known to the victim.
- Date rape differs from statutory rape in the sense that the latter is nonforcible, and a victim is usually a person below the age of consent.
- Unlike date rape, spousal, or marital rape involves sexual intercourse with one’s marriage partner without their consent. As such, the two types of cases are different in the sense that the offender in marital rape has a marriage union with the victim.
- Unlike date rape, where the assailant is known to the victim, stranger rape involves sexual assault by an individual unknown to the victim, or an individual with no prior acquaintance (Gravelin, Biernat & Bucher, 2018).
- Types and Uses of Date Rape Drugs
- Types of Drugs
- Alcohol
- Club drugs
- MDMA or ecstasy
- GHG or liquid ecstasy
- Rohypnol
- Ketamine
- Uses
- The two types of date clubs are used to lower sexual inhibition and increase the possibility of sexual assault (Gomes, 2018)
- For instance, alcohol inhibits the physical ability of victims to defend themselves
- Date rape drugs also reduce a victim’s resistance to sexual assault (Gomes, 2018)
- For example, ecstasy
- Victim-Offender Relationship in Date Rape
- The victim-offender relationship in the majority of date rapes is based on dominance.
- For instance, the male offender perceives himself as dominant against the female victim and forces them into sexual intercourse.
- Perpetrators of date rapes that involve females may also view their victims from a traditional gender ideology, whereby the woman is considered as a passive recipient of male sexual interests (Angelone, Mitchell & Smith, 2016).
- The victim-offender relationship may also be based on vulnerability and gullibility.
- For instance, the victim is viewed as highly vulnerable and gullible by the perpetrator to the extent of the latter luring them to engage in unwanted sexual intercourse.
- Special Problems of Date Rape Prosecutions
- Lack of adequate proof of the nonconsensual act (Jenkins & Petherick, 2014).
- Literature suggests that the main criteria used to gauge where sexual consent was nonconsensual is physical injury (Jenkins & Petherck, 2014). Thus, the non-aggravated nature of date rape and lack of physical injury creates difficulties in determining whether the act was nonconsensual or simply a seduction.
- Inadequate information on which to base a prosecution against (Jenkins & Petherick, 2014).
- In most cases, date rape involves the use of drugs that may inhibit the victim’s memory regarding the event. As such, prosecution of the offender may be difficult in instances where the victim cannot recall the occurrence clearly.
- View of the Society and Jurors Regarding Date Rape
- The society and jurors may view date rape as a lack of responsibility by the victim.
- For instance, in a scenario where alcohol is involved, victims may be perceived as sexually available, thus more to blame for the sexual assault (Angelone et al., 2016).
- The social may also perceive date rape as arising from sexual provocation by the victim.
- For example, if a female victim dresses provocatively during a date, she may be blamed for triggering sexual advances by the perpetrator.
- Stance on the Issue and Action to Impact Social Policy
- Date rape cases in which drugs or alcohol are involved should be prosecuted.
- To impact social policy governing date rape, a better understanding of the nature of the relationship between the victim and the offender should be established.
- For instance, interviews should be held with the victim’s close relatives and friends to determine the stage of the relationship between the victim and the offender.
- Cultural and traditional ideologies should also be disregarded during prosecutions to ensure that sexual assailants are convicted accordingly and that further date rapes are prevented.
References
“Estimated Legacy Rape Rate” (N.d). Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ucrdatatool.gov/Search/Crime/State/RunCrimeTrendsInOneVar.cfm
“The naton’s two crime measures” (N.d). Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ucrdatatool.gov/twomeasures.cfm
Angelone, D., Mitchell, D., & Smith, D. (2016). The influence of gender ideology, victim resistance, and spiking a drink on acquaintance rape attributions. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(1), 1-25
Gomes, A. (2018). Date rape drugs. Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329609949_Date_Rape_Drugs
Gravelin, C., Biernat, M., & Bucher, C. (2018). Blaming the victim of acquaintance rape: Individual, situational, and sociocultural factors. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(2422), 1-22.
Jenkins, A., & Petherick, W. (2014). Profiling and serial crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier
Sinozich, S., & Langton, L. (2014). Rape and sexual assault among college-age females, 1995-2013. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5176
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