NCJ Number
209931
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2002 Pages: 773-782
Date Published
July 2002
Length
10 pages
Annotation
In challenging a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined rape to be a "noneconomic violent" crime that does not affect interstate commerce, this study estimated the financial costs of sexual violence in Michigan.
Abstract
The authors define "rape" and "sexual assault" as "sexual activity that is forced on a woman against her will by any man, including current and ex-partners." They define "sex-offense homicide" as any sexually motivated homicide with known circumstances that include rape or sexual assault. "Sexual" violence" is the umbrella term that encompasses rape, sexual assault, and sex-offense homicide. In perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of crime costs, Miller et al. (1996) estimated intangible losses by averaging the monetary value of jury awards for pain and suffering. Tangible losses were calculated by using a variety of sources, including the National Crime Victimization Survey, State and Federal data, previous research estimates, and a survey designed for their study. The current study first estimated the prevalence of rape, sexual assault, and sex-offense homicide in Michigan. Next, a cost-of-living calculator translated 1993 costs from Miller et al.'s study to 1996 costs to match data of the current study. Then, national figures reported by Miller et al. (1996) were translated to Michigan figures using Michigan specific adjustment factors. Even with gross underestimates, sexual violence in Michigan is expensive, costing government agencies, insurance companies, hospitals, and citizens more than $6.5 billion annually. The authors argue that the prevalence and cost of sexual violence should be viewed as a public health issue that warrants significant investments in preventive measures. 1 table and 21 references