PATTERNS OF REPORTED RAPE IN A TRI-ETHNIC POPULATION - HOUSTON, TEXAS, 1974-1975

• NCJ Number: 68284
• Journal: American Journal of Public Health Volume: 69 Issue: 5 Dated: (MAY 1979) Pages: 480-484
• Author(s): J SANFORD; L CRYER; B L CHRISTENSEN; K L MATTOX
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Free online PDF and HTML access to the American Journal of Public Health is provided by the publisher 24 months after individual issues are released.

Annotation

POLICE RECORDS OF REPORTED RAPE COMPILED FOR THE FBI UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS IN HOUSTON FOR 1974 AND 1975 WERE ANALYZED IN RELATION TO ETHNICITY AND AGE OF THE VICTIM AND OFFENDER, AND TIME AND PLACE OF OCCURRENCE.

Abstract

THE DATA WERE RECORDED FOR 875 COMPLETED RAPES AND 258 ATTEMPTED RAPES. UNDER TEXAS LAW, THE CRIME OF RAPE APPLIES ONLY TO FEMALE VICTIMS AND MUST INVOLVE THEIR GENITAL ORGANS. THE THREE MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS OF THE CITY ARE BLACKS (25.2 PERCENT), CHICANOS (12.4 PERCENT), AND ANGLOS (62.4 PERCENT). BLACKS HAD THE HIGHEST RACE-SPECIFIC RATES FOR BOTH VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS; THE MAJORITY OF ALL RAPES WERE INTRARACIAL. THE HIGH-RISK AGE GROUP FOR BOTH VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS WAS FROM 20 TO 24 YEARS. RAPES INCREASED SLIGHTLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, PEAKED DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS, AND WERE FAIRLY EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE DAYS OF THE WEEK. THE WEEKEND ACCOUNTED FOR 43.6 PERCENT OF ALL RAPE OCCURRENCES. THE MAJORITY OF RAPE EVENTS INVOLVED THE USE OF A LETHAL WEAPON AND TOOK PLACE IN A RESIDENCE. TABLES SHOW COMPARISON OF THE HOUSTON DATA WITH OTHER STUDIES AND ILLUSTRATE THE HOUSTON STUDY RESULTS. A LIST OF 11 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)