ALCOHOL AND RAPE IN WINNIPEG, 1966-1975

• NCJ Number: 58194
• Journal: Journal of Studies on Alcohol Volume: 39 Issue: 11 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 1887-1894
• Author(s): S D JOHNSON; L GIBSON; R LINDEN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Rutgers University
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: REVISION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE CANADIAN CONGRESS OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CORRECTIONS, CALGARY, JULY 1977

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL USE AND RAPE IN THE CITY OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA, WAS ANALYZED TO ASCERTAIN IF THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ALCOHOL AFFECTS THE MANNER IN WHICH RAPE IS COMMITTED.

Abstract

DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM FILES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN WINNIPEG AND INCLUDED ALL RAPES REPORTED DURING THE 10-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1966 TO 1975. DURING THE STUDY PERIOD, 344 RAPES AND ATTEMPTED RAPES WERE REPORTED. ONLY 217 CASES CLASSIFIED AS FOUNDED RAPES WERE ANALYZED. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF POLICE RECORDS WERE THREEFOLD. FIRST, RAPES REPORTED TO THE POLICE REPRESENTED ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF ALL RAPES COMMITTED. SECOND, THERE WAS NO CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF DATA. THIRD, POLICE REPORTS DID NOT CONTAIN PRECISE DATA ON THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION OF RAPE VICTIMS AND RAPISTS. DATA INDICATED THAT ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT IN 72.4 PERCENT OF RAPES, THAT ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT IN BOTH VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS IN 38.7 PERCENT OF RAPES, AND THAT ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT IN OFFENDERS ONLY IN 24.4 PERCENT OF RAPES. OF VICTIMS, 9.2 PERCENT HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL PRIOR TO RAPE. THERE WAS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF FORCE BEING USED WHEN ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT THAN WHEN ALCOHOL WAS ABSENT FROM THE RAPE SITUATION. THIS RELATIONSHIP DEPENDED SOMEWHAT ON WHO HAD BEEN DRINKING. IT WAS WEAKEST WHEN ALCOHOL WAS USED BY THE VICTIM ALONE AND STRONGEST WHEN BOTH THE OFFENDER AND THE VICTIM HAD BEEN DRINKING. OF 191 CASES FOR WHICH INJURY DATA WERE AVAILABLE, 113 OR 59.2 PERCENT RESULTED IN INJURY TO THE VICTIM. OF 137 RAPES IN WHICH AT LEAST 1 PARTY HAD BEEN DRINKING, 85 OF THE RAPE VICTIMS WERE INJURED. THE LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY WAS GREATER IF BOTH THE VICTIM AND THE OFFENDER HAD BEEN DRINKING. IN CASES INVOLVING VULNERABLE VICTIMS, SUCH AS PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS, THERE WAS A SLIGHTLY LOWER PROPORTION OF RAPISTS WHO DRANK, ALTHOUGH RAPISTS WHO HAD BEEN DRINKING WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NONDRINKING RAPISTS TO RAPE HANDICAPPED OR INTOXICATED WOMEN. THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT THERE IS A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE USE OF ALCOHOL AND THE INCIDENCE OF FORCIBLE RAPE. DUE TO METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE THE TRUE MAGNITUDE OF THE CORRELATION. SUPPORTING DATA ARE TABULATED, AND REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)