NCJ Number
83204
Journal
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1980) Pages: 30-39
Date Published
1980
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This British paper reviews studies and interprets statistics about sexual assaults in England and Wales and explains the different legal categories of sexual offenses.
Abstract
In England and Wales, both heterosexual and homosexual assaults are classified into two broad classes: unwanted sexual intrusion upon adults and sexual contacts with minors under age 16, regardless of whether the young person involved is a willing participant. An analysis of offenses of all persons convicted for indictable sexual crimes in England and Wales in 1973 shows that all the offenders were male; the most common offense was indecent assault on a female; and in these offenses, the victim was under 13 years old in 43.4 percent of the cases and 16 or over in only 30.4 percent. Incest victims were most often under 16, as were about one-third of the rape and attempted rape victims. Most of the offenders were over 21 years old. Conclusions that can be drawn from these statistics are that most sexual crime consists of indecent acts, short of sexual penetration, committed with children under age 16. A large portion of sexual crime occurs with the apparent consent of the participating girl or boy. The article argues that consensual behavior should be distinguished from truly aggressive and assaultive sexual intrusion, whatever the age participants. Studies by Kinsey and others confirm that sexual contacts between adults and children are more commonplace than most people realize. The article concludes that violent and dangerous sexual assaults, which are rare, are frequently attributable to offenders who are psychiatrically abnormal. These offenders may be treated to prevent repetition. Tables and 10 references are provided.