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RAPE PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECT - FINAL REPORT

NCJ Number
68706
Author(s)
C J HURSCH; J SELKIN
Date Published
1974
Length
107 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED FROM THE FIRST YEAR (1973-74) OF DENVER'S RAPE PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECT.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE TO DEFINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RAPE IN DENVER, DISTINGUISH DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RAPE VICTIMS AND RAPE RESISTORS, STUDY METHODS USED BY RESISTORS TO PREVENT RAPE ASSAULTS, AND CONDUCT A CONTROLLED COMPARISON STUDY OF HIGH INCIDENCE CENSUS TRACTS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF A MASS PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM ON RAPE OFFENSES. DURING THE FIRST YEAR'S WORK, THE MOST IMPORTANT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RAPE IN DENVER WERE DEFINED. CENSUS TRACT VARIABLES, ETHNICITY OF OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS, AGE, AND OTHER VARIABLES WERE CAREFULLY RECORDED AND ORGANIZED. ADDITIONAL WORK IN IDENTIFYING TYPE OF RESIDENCE AND IN CODING THE DATA IS IN PROCESS. AFTER CODING, MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS WILL PROVIDE DATA ON PROTOTYPES OF RAPE VICTIMS AND PROTOTYPE RAPE ASSAILANT-VICTIM SITUATION MODULES. COMPARISON OF RAPE VICTIM AND RAPE RESISTOR GROUPS OF SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. RAPE RESISTORS WERE FOUND TO BE MORE DOMINANT AND CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO COPE IN A VARIETY OF SOCIAL SITUATIONS. FOLLOWING THE ASSAULT, RESISTORS WERE LESS ANXIOUS, LESS DEPRESSED, AND LESS FRIGHTENED THAN VICTIMS. PROJECT PERSONNEL WORKED CLOSELY WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN PLANNING FOR THE VICTIM SUPPORT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE SEX OFFENDER AND TREATMENT PROGRAM. EXTENSIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK SENSITIZED THE COMMUNITY TO RAPE AS A SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL PROBLEM. HIGH POINTS OF THIS EFFORT WERE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION FROM THE U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLICATION OF AN ARTICLE DESCRIBING THE PROJECT IN THE LONDON DAILY EXPRESS. DATA GATHERED BY THE PROJECT ARE PROVIDED. APPENDED ARE FORMS USED IN THE RAPE-VICTIM AND RAPE-RESISTOR RESEARCH, A PRESS RELEASE FOR A NEWS CONFERENCE, A CONSULTANT'S LETTER, AND A SUMMARY OF A RAPE SEMINAR IN KANSAS CITY, MO., IN MAY 1974. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)