DEFINITIONS OF RAPE VARY, BUT TWO TYPES ARE GENERALLY RECOGNIZED: RAPE BY FORCE OR DECEIT, AND STATUTORY RAPE (INTERCOURSE WITH SOMEONE BELOW A STIPULATED AGE). AN ANALYSIS OF UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND OTHER DATA SHOW THAT RAPES APPEAR TO BE MOST PREVALENT BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER, REACHING A PEAK IN AUGUST. ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY, SATURDAY IS THE PEAK DAY, AND THE HIGHEST RISK HOURS ARE 8:00 PM TO 2:00 AM. THE OFFENSE IS MOST FREQUENT IN THE CITY, LEAST FREQUENT IN RURAL AND SUBURBAN AREAS. A SUBSTANTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLACE OF OFFENSE AND RESIDENCE OF THE OFFENDER HAS BEEN FOUND, AND IN 82 PERCENT OF THE CASES, OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS LIVED IN THE SAME AREA. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MOST OF THE RAPES STUDIED WERE PLANNED RATHER THAN SPONTANEOUS, AND MOST WERE INTRARACIAL IF THEY OCCURRED IN ONE OF THE PARTICIPANT'S HOMES OR IF IT WAS A GROUP RAPE. GROUP RAPES WERE ACCOMPLISHED MORE OFTEN BY INTIMIDATION AND NONBRUTAL BEATINGS; SINGLE OFFENDER RAPES BY EXTREME VIOLENCE AND BRUTALITY. IN ALMOST HALF OF THE CASES STUDIED, THE OFFENDER AND THE VICTIM ALREADY KNEW ONE ANOTHER, AND THE CLOSER THE PRIOR RELATIONSHIP THE GREATER THE DEGREE OF FORCE USED. ARREST STATISTICS FOR 1969 SHOWED THAT 18-YEAR-OLDS COMMITTED THE GREATEST NUMBER OF RAPES. DATA CONCERNING OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS RELIGION, EDUCATION, AND OCCUPATION, ARE SCANTY, HOWEVER, SEX OFFENDERS ARE USUALLY SINGLE, UNSKILLED WORKERS FROM LOW EDUCATION AND INCOME GROUPS. PSYCHIATRIC STUDIES OF RAPE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY POLICE AND VICTIM NONCOOPERATION. AN EXPLANATION IS OFFERED AS TO WHY SO LITTLE FORMAL STUDY HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO THE OFFENSE OF RAPE: IT IS A HIGHLY PERSONAL AND UNORGANIZED OFFENSE, AND THERE IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF GATHERING INFORMATION FROM PARTICIPANTS OR INFORMERS; THE LEGAL DEFINITIONS OF RAPE MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE JUST WHEN AN ACTUAL RAPE HAS OCCURRED; AND RAPISTS AND VICTIMS ARE RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS THE ACT, AND IT OFTEN GOES UNREPORTED.