NCJ Number
85641
Date Published
1981
Length
305 pages
Annotation
This study surveyed 500 adult Texas residents on their attitudes toward criminal sanctions against forced marital intercourse and analyzed the reasons underlying these attitudes.
Abstract
While most respondents believed that forced marital intercourse was wrong, a smaller majority believed that there should be criminal sanctions against the act. The greatest percentage of respondents felt that the penalty for forced marital intercourse should be less serious than that for rape and that it should be a misdemeanor. Attitudes favoring sanctions were influenced by the degree to which the act was viewed as undesirable. The public placed more weight on the belief in the effectiveness of the sanction in reducing the incidence of marital rape than they did in the fear of undesirable side effects. However, racial minorities were more fearful of the undesirable side effect of blaming an innocent man than were whites. Persons with traditional sex role attitudes did not favor the implementation of criminal sanctions as much as did persons with modern attitudes. Findings imply that sanctions against marital rape should be declared misdemeanors and punished accordingly. Over 100 references, a few endnotes, a list of cases, and data tables are provided. Appendixes include survey material. (Author abstract modified)