NCJ Number
126168
Date Published
1990
Length
70 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes data collected from Rape Crisis Centers (RCCs) in Massachusetts from 1985 through 1987. The data cover a large number of sexual assaults not reported to police departments or hospitals, thus it is useful in clarifying the nature, scope, and effect of sexual assaults.
Abstract
The report describes the scope of the problem in terms of number of assaults, number of victims, and the rising incidence of child sexual abuse. The publicly funded RCCs are discussed in terms of their history and funding, services, and the importance of their data. Offense and offender characteristics are outlined including victim-offender relationship, age of offender, location of incident, use of weapon, and multiple versus single offenders. Elements of victim profiles are examined, focusing on age of the victim, child sexual assault, victim's sex, and racial/ethnic distributions. Report findings on the aftermath of sexual assault involve incident reporting, medical care, and intention to prosecute. The discussion section deals with several relevant issues including realities of rape, reporting, rape and racism, recovery, and the role of RCCs. Specific recommendations contained in this report can be categorized as sexual violence prevention strategies, direct services for victims and their partners, interagency coordination, criminal sanctions and treatments for offenders, and expansion of a statistical data base. 12 tables, 28 figures, 13 references, and 3 appendixes