NCJ Number
32894
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1976) Pages: 125-136
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES SALIENT POINTS OF CONCERN IN THE CONTROL AND REDUCTION OF RAPE AND DESCRIBES EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN OR ARE BEING MADE TO BRING ABOUT A REVERSAL IN THE UPWARD TREND OF RAPE RATES.
Abstract
A CURRENT, COMPREHENSIVE, NATION-WIDE RESEARCH PROJECT ON FORCIBLE RAPE IS DESCRIBED, WITH A SUMMARY OF HOW THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT ARE EXPECTED TO BE UTILIZED BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES AND BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DEALING WITH RAPE. OTHER POINTS OF CONCERN DISCUSSED IN THIS PAPER ARE THE LEGAL AND MORAL ISSUES REVOLVING AROUND THE LACK OF CONSENSUS IN THE DEFINITION OF RAPE, NOT ONLY AS SPECIFIED IN STATE STATUTES BUT ALSO AS VIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. CONCEPTUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE DEFINITION OF RAPE LEAD TO INEQUITABLE AND INCONSISTENT HANDLING OF RAPE BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN ADDITION TO SERIOUSLY IMPUGNING THE VALIDITY, AND HENCE USEFULNESS, OF OFFICIAL CRIME STATISTICS. FINALLY, CHANGES IN THE TREATMENT OF RAPE VICTIMS, WITH THE CONCOMITANT BENEFITS TO THEM AND TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROLLING AND PROSECUTING RAPE, ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)