NCJ Number
105733
Date Published
Unknown
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The incidence of violence against women and factors contributing to violence were explored in a mail survey of women in Stone County, Iowa.
Abstract
Analysis of 523 responses shows incidence figures comparable to those for national samples. Almost 10 percent reported rape, 9 percent reported childhood incest, and almost 20 percent reported battering. Alcohol or other drugs were involved in 34 percent of the violence, supporting the contention that intoxication is a disinhibiting factor rather than a cause. Stranger rape accounted for only 4 percent of rapes, spouses accounted for 46 percent, and acquaintances for 36 percent. There was little evidence of blaming the victim in responses by either victims or nonvictims. Finally, there was a tendency for child abuse (nonsexual) victims to also have been battered and for domestic violence victims to have been raped. 5 tables and 8 references.