NCJ Number
145054
Date Published
1991
Length
40 pages
Annotation
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary used data from State and local law enforcement agencies and rape crisis centers in all 50 States to examine the magnitude of rape in 1990.
Abstract
The findings showed that more women were raped in 1990 than in any year in U.S. history, exceeding 100,000 reported rapes for the first time. The number of incidents increased by 5,929 from the previous year, representing a 6-percent rise and the largest increase in over a decade. The report notes that the U.S. has the highest international number and rate of reported rapes, and that according to most experts, official figures on rape are extremely conservative because of the large proportion of unreported crimes. The Violence Against Women Act, introduced to Congress in 1991, seeks to make the streets safer for American women by increasing penalties for rape and enhancing law enforcement efforts to prevent rape and create more secure public environments. 5 tables, 2 figures, and 20 notes