Overview
This lecture covers definitions, trends, and key characteristics of sexual assault and child sexual abuse, emphasizing changing definitions, prevalence, offender/victim profiles, and victim consequences.
Defining Rape and Changes in Definition
- The FBI’s original definition (pre-2013) was "forcible rape," only recognizing female victims.
- In 2013, NIBRS broadened the definition to include all sexes, penetration by any object/body part, oral penetration, and lack of consent.
- The new definition covers attempted rapes and situations where the victim is incapable of giving consent (e.g., due to intoxication, age, or incapacity).
- Consent does not require physical resistance; verbal or behavioral non-consent matters.
- Non-consensual sexual relations with family members are legally rape, not just incest.
Trends and Statistics on Rape
- Reported rapes in the US dropped nearly 9.5% from 2020 to 2023, with around 127,000 reported in 2023.
- Rates were highest in the early 1990s, fell until 2010, then rose after the 2013 definition change, peaking in 2020.
- Increased reporting is largely due to the broader definition, not necessarily an actual rise in incidents.
- Historically, fewer rapes were reported due to stigma and narrow definitions.
Characteristics and Reporting of Rape
- Rape is the most underreported violent crime, with only about 30% reported to police.
- Less than 6% of reported rapes lead to arrest; less than 1% result in a felony conviction.
- Over 90% of adult rape victims are female; most offenders and victims know each other.
- Rape is predominantly intra-racial (occurring within the same race).
- Underreporting is due to emotional trauma, victim-blaming, and stigma.
Victim Consequences and Responses
- Victims often experience two phases: acute disorganization (immediate shock, fear, humiliation) and lingering disorganization (long-term, lasting months to years).
- Emotional responses may be inward-directed (self-blame, depression) or outward-directed (anger, blame toward perpetrator).
- Recovery is faster for outward-directed victims, especially in acquaintance rape cases.
- Male victims exist and will be discussed in readings.
Child Sexual Abuse: Definitions and Patterns
- Child sexual abuse is any use of a child for sexual stimulation by an adult or older adolescent.
- Abuse includes a range of sexual behaviors (exposing, fondling, pornography, rape).
- Two key elements: abuser is older and holds authority over the child.
- Girls are more likely victims; abusers are usually older males, often with their own history of abuse.
- Most abusers are not mentally ill but tend to be passive, socially isolated adult men.
Male Victims and Offenders in Child Sexual Abuse
- Most boy victims are abused by men, but abusers often identify as heterosexual and are married.
- The abuse dynamic is about power over the vulnerable, not sexual orientation.
- Boys abused as children are more likely to become abusers themselves.
Key Terms & Definitions
- NIBRS — National Incident-Based Reporting System, collects detailed data on crimes.
- Rape (2013 NIBRS definition) — Penetration of the vagina or anus (or oral penetration) with any object/body part, without victim consent.
- Child Sexual Abuse — Sexual use of a child by an adult/older adolescent for stimulation, involving authority/power imbalance.
- Intra-racial Crime — Crime occurring between people of the same race.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read chapter 5 sections on gang rape, acquaintance rape, campus rape, and men as victims of rape.