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Sex Crimes: Questionable / Ambiguous Definitions, Statistics

Sex Crimes

Sodomy: An act whereby one person takes into the mouth or anus the sexual organ of another person or animal; places his/her sexual organ in the mouth or anus of another person or of an animal; places his/her sexual organ in any opening of the body other than the sexual parts of another person; or has penile-vaginal intercourse with an animal

Indecent Exposure: Willfully and wrongfully exposing a certain part of the body to public view in an indecent manner

Indecent Assault: Intent to gratify the lust or sexual desires of the accused

Some Facts (?) About Rape

National Center for Victims of Crime
1.3 women forcibly raped every minute
78 women are forcibly raped each hour
1871 women are forcibly raped each day
56,916 forcible rapes every month
683,000 women are forcibly raped yearly
(out of 62 million adult women = 2%)

More Facts (?)

1 out of 8 women have been the victims of forcible rape
In 1999:
20% Increase in Rapes
33% Increase in Sexual Assaults
70% of victims knew their attacker
77% of cases involved no weapon other than hands, fists or feet

Rape in the Military

Survey of 583 women who had served since Vietnam era:
Respondants reported:
48% experienced violence of some kind
30% experienced rape
33% experienced physical assault
16% experienced both sexual and physical assault
--All while in military service (Sadler, 2000)

In the Military

VA Women’s Health Study (n = 3632)
55% reported sexual harassment
23% reported being sexually assaulted
(J of Interpersonal Violence, Mar 2000)

Prevalence in Army Sample:

23% of females reported a completed rape
51% of females reported a sexual assault
7% of males reported a sexual assault
Most assaults occurred prior to entry into service
(Military Medicine, Apr 1998)

Common Themes in Military Sex Assaults

Alcohol use/Abuse
Acquaintance or Co-worker
Consent is muddy issue
Clothing removal typically not forcible
“I didn’t want to..but didn’t say anything”
“She didn’t say ‘no’”
“She said ‘no’ but I thought she was kidding…”
Both victim and alleged perpetrator are commonly junior in rank and in their 20’s

Victim Dynamics

Victims may be ashamed of their behavior
Victims may withhold information that puts them in a “bad light”
“Victims” may have other agendas:
Boyfriend breakup - sympathy ploy
Attention-seeking behavior
Revenge

Yes, It Happens to Men, Too

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., April 5, 2001 -- Officials estimate about three-tenths of a percent of men will be sexually assaulted while serving in the military -- compared to 8 percent of women. But men are considerably less likely to report the event.

"Men rarely come forward unless something precipitates disclosure, for instance, if somebody else comes forward first," said Army Dr. (Lt. Col.) E. Cameron Ritchie, one of the military's top mental health experts.

Ritchie said she believes men experience more shame after such an event, and worry more about what other people will think of them afterward.

"Men might not want to report a rape because they're afraid they'll be called gay or womanly," she said.



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