Our judicial system classifies rape right up there with murder and conciders it a major crime. A victim of rape not only has to cope with the traumatic physical and psycological effects which can be quite severe, but also AIDS, herpes, and other types of sexually transmitted diseases. Remember that there are different types of rapists (covered in previous articles) ranging from the reassure-me to the sadistic, who won't stop until you are dead.
How common is rape?
- In 1992, the national Victim's Center stated that 13% of women had been raped and 21-38.5% of teenage girls had reported some form of non-consensual sex.
- Who are rapists? MHSLS data depicts the following:
- 22% of the women had been forced sexually at some time in their lives
- Someone the woman was in love with 46%
- Spouse 9%
- Someone the woman knew well 22%
- Acquaintance 19%
- Stranger 4%
- Only 2.8% of men admitted forcing sex
Experts estimate that as many as 90% of all rapes are never reported and of those reported, about 60% of the rape victims knew their assailants. In one study by the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Rape, 92% of adolescent rape victims said they were acquainted with their attackers. (Reported in Newsweek, April 9, 1984) Of those women, the majority of the victims were 15 to 25 years old.
Written by: Frank Shilosky
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