NCJ Number
97324
Date Published
1985
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Policies and activities which hold promise for reducing the incidence of rape include legislation, law enforcement policies and practices, skill training for potential victims, educational intervention, and media strategies.
Abstract
The concept of primary prevention, which refers to activities that reduce the incidence of a problem, should be applied to rape. Primary prevention activities would focus both on changing the behavior of potential victims and on preventing the development of rape behavior in males. This approach would end the current perceptual distortions of rape; these distortions have led to a focus on the victim rather than on the assailant. Epidemiological studies have shown that the highest predictor of rape victimization is the conditioning of males to subordinate females. The highest predictor of sexual assault in males is membership in a culture or subculture that condones interpersonal violence and denigrates women's roles. Epidemiological and sociological denigrates women's roles. Epidemiological and sociological studies also support the feminist view that prevention strategies aimed at equalizing the power balance between the sexes and reducing violence and acceptance of it have the most promise for rape prevention. Reform legislation and policies of enforcement and prosecution should increase legal sanctions against rape. Women also need training in rape avoidance and self-defense. Educational interventions should occur in the earliest grades and should counter sex-role stereotypes. Television's power as a teaching tool should be used for positive effects. More than one approach will be needed to produce the desired results. Seventy-one references are listed.