NCJ Number
122126
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 2 Dated: special issue (1987) Pages: 337-356
Date Published
1987
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Using ten years (1973-1982) of National Crime Survey (NCS) data, this analysis applies routine activity theory to the risk of rape.
Abstract
Univariate analysis describing characteristics of the victimization and also bivariate and multivariate (discriminant) analyses are employed to assess the risk of rape. In this study, 762 rape and attempted rape victims are compared with 2,523 randomly selected non-rape victims. Most characteristics concerning the rape incident itself, such as time of day and season, were consistent with routine activity theory. An exception found was place of occurrence. The strongest predictors of the risk of rape were marital status, age, family income, and the number of living units per structure. Race was not a factor in the risk of rape, although race was correlated with those factors influencing the risk of rape. The likelihood of affecting the level of rape through policy appears limited given the fundamental level of the predictor variables. 4 tables, 33 references. (Author abstract modified)