NCJ Number
66284
Journal
NEW LAW JOURNAL Volume: 128 Dated: (AUGUST 3, 1978) Pages: 748-750
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE ARTICLE IDENTIFIES TRENDS IN SEXUAL OFFENSES IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING 1949 TO 1963 IN RELATION TO TRENDS IN TOTAL INDICTABLE CRIME AND TOTAL VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PERSON.
Abstract
HOME OFFICE CRIMINAL STATISTICS PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR THE ANALYSIS SINCE THESE ARE THE ONLY PUBLISHED MEASURES OF CRIME. IN A SOCIETY WHERE ALL CRIME IS INCREASING RAPIDLY, PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CRIME, SEX CRIME HAS BEEN GROWING AT A SLOWER RATE THAN IN THE 1950'S. THE RECENT RATE OF INCREASE IS 1.7 PERCENT PER YEAR, ONE THIRD OF THE 5 PERCENT INCREASE IN TOTAL INDICTABLE CRIME, AND ONLY ONE FIFTH OF THE ANNUAL INCREASE OF 9 PERCENT PER YEAR IN VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PERSON SINCE 1949. EXHIBITING A NEGATIVE GROWTH RATE OVER THE PERIOD WERE HOMOSEXUAL CRIMES, ABDUCTION, AND BIGAMY. RAPE, UNLAWFUL INTERCOURSE WITH A GIRL 13 TO 16 YEARS, INCEST, PROCURATION, AND INDECENCY BETWEEN MALES SHOWED NO STATISTICALLY DETECTABLE ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION IN GROWTH RATES SINCE 1949. INDECENT ASSAULT ON A FEMALE ALSO DIMINISHED IN ABSOLUTE NUMBERS. THE ONLY OFFENSE WHICH INCREASED WAS UNLAWFUL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH A MINOR. IF A CASE WERE TO BE MADE FOR A BOOMING INCIDENCE OF SEX CRIME, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE IN RELATION TO THE 1950'S AND MID-1960'S RATHER THAN THE LAST DECADE. A TOTAL OF 55 PERCENT OF SEX CRIMES SHOWED A POSITIVE GROWTH RATE ON AVERAGE, BUT DECLINED IN EVERY YEAR SINCE 1970 EXCEPT 1976; 22 PERCENT EXHIBITED A POSITIVE GROWTH RATE WITH NO DETECTABLE ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION OVER THE PERIOD. LESS THAN 2 PERCENT OF SEX CRIMES GREW AT AN ACCELERATING RATE. THE EXPLOSION OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL OCCURRING IN THE 1970'S HAS NOT APPARENTLY AFFECTED TRENDS IN SEX CRIME. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)