Extent and characteristics of Rape in the United States Research Paper

Extent and characteristics of Rape in the United States - Research Paper Example Rape may be carried out on male or female victim by male or female offender i.e. may be a heterosexual or homosexual activity. Sexual assaults, apart from rape, also include attempted rape whereby victim is threatened with fear of being committed a rape on. It also includes forcibly fondling, touching and grabbing victim in a sexual manner against his or her will. The detailed scope of these criminal activities has been discussed later in this paper. National Crime Victimization Survey is conducted semi-annually at national level, examining population of approximately 90,000 people. Interviews are conducted and samples are randomly selected and changed after certain lapse of time to identify recurring instances. Responses are critically and thoroughly analyzed before conclusion is made about characteristics and extent of sexual assaults (Rand & Saltzman, 2003). Therefore, results are highly accurate and reliable and have been made as a sound basis of this research paper. This paper e ntails detailed metrics of occurrence of rapes and sexual violence across the United States. It also describes and analyzes the motives behind sexual offences and corresponding preventive measures to mitigate the probability of occurrences of this social evil to a minimum. Scope of activities The legal definition and meaning of activities, involving sexual violence, is different according to different jurisdictions and prevailing legal frameworks or constitutions. Sexual violence may include successfully committing, attempting to commit but unsuccessful or otherwise threatening to commit such acts of rape or sexual assault. Commercial pornographic business and professional prostitution are not considered to be part of definition of rape and sexual assaults. There are various modes of sexual assault and victimization, as suggested by Koss, Gidycz and Wisniewski in their book, including: Persistent and pressurizing demands by an individual, leading to sexual foreplay or intercourse; e xploitation of authority or dominating position by an individual, leading to sexual foreplay or intercourse; coercion and physical violence, by an individual, to force indulgence in sexual foreplay or intercourse; indulgence in sexual intercourse subsequent to being drugged or overdosed with alcohol by another individual; attempt by an individual to engage in sexual intercourse through physical force or usage of drugs or alcohol, but intercourse couldn’t occur; and coercion and physical violence, by an individual, to force indulgence in other sexual activities including anal intercourse, oral intercourse or penetration by sex toys. (Koss, Gidycz & Wisniewski, 1987) Summary of Statistics National Crime Victimization conducts periodic surveys across different territories to identify instances of rapes and sexual violence acts and quantify their frequency of occurrence and other metrics such as characteristics of offenders and victims, favorable and unfavorable circumstances lea ding to such situations and other factors that affect the likelihood of occurrence of such evils. According to recent statistics obtained through studies and research by these authorities, the aggregate rate of sexual assaults committed with females in the United States declined 64% through 1995 to 2005 and remained static upto 2010. As in 2010, there were 270,000 sexual violence a