HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992 WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD
U.S. Department of Justice
ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST BJS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994 202-307-0784
HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992
WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Half of the women who reported they
had been raped during 1992 were juveniles under 18 years old, and 16
percent were younger than 12, according to a Department of Justice study
released today of 11 states and Washington, D.C.
A separate study in 1991 in three states found that 96 percent of
the female rape victims younger than 12 years old knew their attackers.
Twenty percent were victimized by their fathers.
The figures were compiled by the Department's Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS). The information from 11 states and the District of
Columbia was from police data and accounted for 20 percent of the
109,000 rapes of females that were reported to law enforcement agencies
during 1992.
BJS said this was the first multi-state study that documents the high
frequency of child rape.
"We have long known that many rape victims were young,"
commented Acting BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld. "However, the
new data tell us for the first time just how young some victims are and
who their attackers were."
BJS said that nationwide 17,000 girls under the age of 12 were
raped during 1992 but pointed out that this is a conservative estimate,
because it included only reported rapes.
The young rape victims as percentages of the total number of
women raped during 1992 in 14 states and the District of Columbia were
as follows:
State Rape Victims Younger Than Percentage of State Total
Alabama 15 years old 24%
Arkansas 14 24
Delaware 10 22
Dist. of Columbia 16 22
Florida 18 46
Idaho 16 24
Kansas 15 12
Michigan 10 25
Nebraska 16 31
North Carolina 16 20
North Dakota 11 25
Pennsylvania 15 25
Rhode Island 14 49
South Carolina 17 40
Wisconsin 15 22
In the 1991 study in three states--Alabama, North Dakota and
South Carolina--police investigators determined that only 4 percent of the
rape victims younger than 12 years old were attacked by strangers during
1991. All the other assailants were either family members (46 percent)
or acquaintances or friends (50 percent). Twenty percent were raped by
their fathers. Among 12- to 17-year-old victims, 20 percent were raped
by family members, 65 percent by an acquaintance or friend and 15
percent by a stranger. Among those 18 years old or older, 12 percent
were raped by a family member, 55 percent by an acquaintance or friend
and 33 percent by a stranger.
A 1991 BJS survey of state prisoners confined for child rape (the
rape of girls under 12) revealed that 94 percent of the offenders said their
victim was either a family member, acquaintance or friend, an estimate
almost identical to that found in the 1991 law enforcement data from the
three states.
Single copies of the BJS Crime Data Brief, "Child Rape Victims,
1992" (NCJ-147001), as well as other BJS statistical reports may be
obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179, Annapolis Junction,
Maryland 20701-0179. The telephone number is 1-800-732-3277. Fax
orders to 410-792-4358.
94-81
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354U.S. Department of Justice
ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST BJS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994 202-307-0784
HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992
WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Half of the women who reported they
had been raped during 1992 were juveniles under 18 years old, and
16 percent were younger than 12, according to a Department of
Justice study released today of 11 states and Washington, D.C.
A separate study in 1991 in three states found that 96
percent of the female rape victims younger than 12 years old knew
their attackers. Twenty percent were victimized by their fathers.
The figures were compiled by the Department's Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). The information from 11 states and the
District of Columbia was from police data and accounted for 20
percent of the 109,000 rapes of females that were reported to law
enforcement agencies during 1992.
BJS said this was the first multi-state study that documents
the high frequency of child rape.
"We have long known that many rape victims were young,"
commented Acting BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld. "However,
the new data tell us for the first time just how young some
victims are and who their attackers were."
BJS said that nationwide 17,000 girls under the age of 12
were raped during 1992 but pointed out that this is a conservative
estimate, because it included only reported rapes.
The young rape victims as percentages of the total number of
women raped during 1992 in 14 states and the District of Columbia
were as follows:
State Rape Victims Younger Than Percentage of State Total
Alabama 15 years old 24%
Arkansas 14 24
Delaware 10 22
Dist. of Columbia 16 22
Florida 18 46
Idaho 16 24
Kansas 15 12
Michigan 10 25
Nebraska 16 31
North Carolina 16 20
North Dakota 11 25
Pennsylvania 15 25
Rhode Island 14 49
South Carolina 17 40
Wisconsin 15 22
In the 1991 study in three states--Alabama, North Dakota and
South Carolina--police investigators determined that only 4
percent of the rape victims younger than 12 years old were
attacked by strangers during 1991. All the other assailants were
either family members (46 percent) or acquaintances or friends (50
percent). Twenty percent were raped by their fathers. Among 12-
to 17-year-old victims, 20 percent were raped by family members,
65 percent by an acquaintance or friend and 15 percent by a
stranger. Among those 18 years old or older, 12 percent were
raped by a family member, 55 percent by an acquaintance or friend
and 33 percent by a stranger.
A 1991 BJS survey of state prisoners confined for child rape
(the rape of girls under 12) revealed that 94 percent of the
offenders said their victim was either a family member,
acquaintance or friend, an estimate almost identical to that found
in the 1991 law enforcement data from the three states.
Single copies of the BJS Crime Data Brief, "Child Rape
Victims, 1992" (NCJ-147001), as well as other BJS statistical
reports may be obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179,
Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20701-0179. The telephone number is
1-800-732-3277. Fax orders to 410-792-4358.
94-81
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354
-----------
Owning Topic : T=BJS Press Releases - 93 E= 374 Type = e
Date Published: June 22, 1994