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Abstract
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A study of 67 rapes by 63 California adolescents has yielded a highly representative composite picture of the typical rape episode by a juvenile assailant. Previously unexplored behavior patterns have emerged, including prior drug use, impulsivity, and lack of victim provocation. These findings have practical implications for clinicians treating rape victims and for the rehabilitation of adolescent rapists.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study by Vinogradov et al. was to construct a composite picture of a typical rape conducted by a juvenile offender.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors conducted a quasi-experimental cross-sectional study with a non-probability sample of 63 adolescents who were admitted to the Northern California Youth Center from June 1973 to March 1977. Every youth incarcerated for murder, manslaughter, assault or rape was interviewed, and 63 rapists between the ages of 13 and 20 were identified who met two criteria - having attempted or achieved forcible sexual intercourse with a woman, and admitting to having committed the offense. With a number of multiple incidents, 67 rapes were recorded. A semi-structured interview was conducted by a psychiatrist or by a professional clinical interviewer who had been trained by the psychiatrist. The interview consisted of 85 structured questions about the offense for which the individual had been incarcerated, as well as an open-ended description by the subject of the crime. As well as the interview, data were collected from official prison documents such as police records, statements of co-offenders, witnesses and victims, laboratory and community assessment reports, and psychometric and educational testing reports. As well as studying the 63 adolescent rapists, the authors also examined 95 youth who had killed or physically wounded their victims and a matched comparison group of 135 delinquents who had never been charged with any assaultive crimes. Results concerning these two groups are reported elsewhere. Analysis involved examination of frequencies.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors constructed a broad picture of the typical rape conducted by as adolescent. The modal rape episode for this sample occurred on a weekend between 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. during the summer. The incident took place in the victim's home during the course of commission of another crime. In about one-third of the rapes there was more than one offender, who was usually from a lower class urban family with a prior offense record. The victim was usually between the ages of 15 and 29, and was unknown to the offender. Cross-racial offenses occurred about half of the time. Most of the offenders used alcohol or drugs regularly, and had consumed substances prior the offense. 27% of the rapes occurred during another crime, and were not premeditated, with about one- third of the rapes involving some form of verbal interaction before the attack. The rape was spontaneous in only 16% of the cases, with premeditation in 21% of the rapes. 88% of the victims had done nothing to provoke the attack, with 12% having consumed alcohol or marijuana 12 hours before being victimized. The authors concluded that adolescent rape was primarily an unprovoked act of violence that often occurred while the offender was under the influence of some substance.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors suggested that programs aimed at reducing the levels of alcohol and drug abuse within the adolescent population could lower the incidence of rape and other serious violent crimes. Ongoing substance abuse treatment programs could be used as conditions of parole for adolescents with a history of sexual assault while under the influence. Also considered important in the design of rehabilitation programs was the impulsive nature of the rape - the authors believed that in order for treatment programs to be successful, a distinction might need to be made between those offenders who rape impulsively and those who plan the event. Psychotherapists and other mental health professionals must also refrain from blaming the victim for the attack, as rape was found to be largely an unprovoked act of violence.
EVALUATION:
The authors present an informative profile of the typical adolescent rape episode. Whilst the fairly small sample size precludes widespread generalization, the combination of the self-report and the official sources for the data collection provides an accurate description of the typical rape for this population. Even if the findings cannot be applied to other groups, the value of this research lies in its ability to provide researchers and treatment planners with an empirical basis for further study and planning in the area of the adolescent sexual offender. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - California
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Male Violence
KW - Male Offender
KW - Rape Offender
KW - Sexual Assault Offender
KW - Offender Characteristics
KW - Offense Characteristics
KW - Offender Impulsivity
KW - Juvenile Substance Use
KW - Offender Substance Use
KW - Drug Use Effects
KW - Substance Use Effects
KW - Violence Against Women
Language: en |