NCJ Number
160842
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1996) Pages: 54-68
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study, conducted on a southern university campus, investigated victim labeling of forced sexual intercourse as rape.
Abstract
A semistructured questionnaire was administered to a random sample of men and women who were attending classes at the university. The sample consisted of 442 women and 376 men from a population of approximately 18,000 students. The revised questionnaire was 10 pages long with five sections. The first section contained the demographic items. The second section focused on dating behavior, beliefs about dating, sexual activity, and beliefs about sexual activity. The third section measured offense behavior, and the final section contained scales designed to measure the use of force in relationships. The analysis reported here is based on items found in section three. The findings show that victims tended to reject the label of rape even when they believed that their offenders labeled the acts as rape. Many continued to date their offenders, and victims tended to label their offenders in positive rather than in negative terms. 2 tables and a 38-item bibliography