Sexual Victimization: Victim Issues, Risk Factors

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Sexual Victimization Victim Issues, Risk Factors
Typologies

• Dr. Michelle L. Meloy

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Sexual victimization Recognition of a social
problem

• 1960s/1970s pro-victim and anti-rape movement
  exposed how the system and society failed these
  victims
• Underreporting has masked the pervasiveness of
  the problem
• Victims fail to report for many reasons
• Child victims fail to report because?
• Female victims fail to report because?
• Male victims fail to report because?

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How common is it?

• Lack of agreement on definitions and methodology
• Reporting difficulties over 65 of victims do
  not report sexual victimization to authorities
• These factors significantly hamper the accuracy
  of prevalence incidence estimates
• Using most conservative numbers suggests it is a
  massive problem for vulnerable populations
• General statements official rates decreasing,
  females, youth and low socioeconomic members most
  at risk

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Victimizations at a glance...

• According to NCVS, every two and a half minutes,
  someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S.
• 1 in 6 women are victims, and 1 in 33 men are the
  victims of sexual assault (and many, many more if
  sexual harassment is included)
• On average over 200, 000 victims of rape,
  attempted rape or sexual assault in a given year,
  based on current prevalence rates
• About 44 of rape victims are under age 18, and
  80 are under age 30
• Sexual assaults have been declining since the
  1990s

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Victim snapshot

• Most victims know their abusers
• 85-90 of victims are female
• 1 in 3 victims are minors
• Teens, preteens, and adult women are most at risk
  for rape
• Younger children are more likely to be sodomized
  or fondled than raped
• Sodomy is the only sex crime that occurs to males
  (54) more often than to females (46)

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Victimization risk factors

• Female gender-power inequality
• Youth 16-24
• Alcohol consumption
• Nighttime
• Warmer months
• Black women stranger attacks
• White women acquaintance attacks
• College women have special risks

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Typologies of rape

• Marital Rape forced sexual activity with legal
  spouse
• Acquaintance Rape forced sexual activity with a
  date, partner, ex-partner, or otherwise known to
  the victim
• Forcible RapeVictim fears harm if they do not
  comply. Lack of consent is key factor.
• Aggravated RapeMore than one assailant and use
  of weapon and injuries.
• Statutory RapeConsensual with minor.

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Invisible rape victims

• Sexually assaulted males
• 2-3 of reported rapes are male-on-male
• Spousal rapes
• Disenfranchised rape victims
• Physically impaired
• Cognitively impaired
• Sex workers
• Ethnic/cultural minorities/illegal immigrants
• Elders

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Real victim or not?

• Real Rapes (popular notions) vs. Date Rapes
  (common crimes)
• Real Rapes Unsuspecting female, complete
  stranger, victim is a virgin, virtuous, fights
  back, suffers injuries, involved in wholesome
  activity when occurred, when escapesreports
  directly to police.
• Forensic evidence found
• CJS treats these victims with empathy respect

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Real victim or not?

• The further a victims experience is with the
  real scenario the less she (he) is believed
• If the victim and offender have a sexual history
  the victimization is viewed as less serious (or
  non-existent)
• Legal issues in these cases revolve around
  consent, not whether the act took place
• Is it rape if a college student has sex with his
  date who is passed out from alcohol consumption?

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Real victim or not?

• Contributory behavior forced intercourse
  preceded by series of consensual acts are viewed
  as less serious
• Victim precipitation are some rapes less serious
  due to the prior conduct of the victim?

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Blaming the victim

• Victim used alcohol or drugs
• Put herself in risky situation
• Suggestive and seductive behavior or dress
• Hitchhiking or other risky actions
• Date rape is terrible misunderstanding of what
  she said or meant
• Certain lifestyles precipitate rape
• Media coverage will highlight facts of the
  victimization that focus upon victim attributes
• Just world hypothesis rationales

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Victim-Defending Perspective

• Nothing erotic or suggestive could justify or
  explain the hostile act because it is NOT about
  sex
• Rape is an act of hate and anger not lust love
• Using force should not be confused with making
  love or engaging in sex
• Rape prevention should not just be aimed at
  females

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Rape Crisis Centers

• 24-hour hotline
• Put victim in touch with advocates
• Accompany to hospital/police/prosecutor
• Arrange for counseling
• Trains CJ members
• Public education efforts
• Offers self-defense strategies

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Reducing fear of sexual victimization

• Blame the victim (Individual problem) Encourage
  females to not precipitate the crime through
  careless, reckless or provocative behavior
• Blame the Offender (Individual problem)
  Offenders are identifiable wackos who must be
  removed from societys normal population

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Reducing fear of sexual victimization

• 3. Blame society (Social/Cultural problem)
• Rape outgrowth of social conditions, cultural
  themes where women viewed as inferior to men and
  as sex objects
• Patriarchal society prevents equality across
  genders
• Deterrence through incarceration teaches men a
  lesson
• Long term strategy is to deal with movies, music,
  magazines encouraging sexual behavior and must
  change attitudes about women