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Child Rape Victims

HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992 WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD

U.S. Department of Justice

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST                            BJS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994                            202-307-0784

                HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992
                 WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Half of the women who reported they
had been raped during 1992 were juveniles under 18 years old, and 16
percent were younger than 12, according to a Department of Justice study
released today of 11 states and Washington, D.C. 

     A separate study in 1991 in three states found that 96 percent of
the female rape victims younger than 12 years old knew their attackers. 
Twenty percent were victimized by their fathers.

     The figures were compiled by the Department's Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS).  The information from 11 states and the District of
Columbia was from police data and accounted for 20 percent of the
109,000 rapes of females that were reported to law enforcement agencies
during 1992.  

     BJS said this was the first multi-state study that documents the high
frequency of child rape.

     "We have long known that many rape victims were young,"
commented Acting BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld.  "However, the
new data tell us for the first time just how young some victims are and
who their attackers were."

     BJS said that nationwide 17,000 girls under the age of 12 were
raped during 1992 but pointed out that this is a conservative estimate,
because it included only reported rapes.  

     The young rape victims as percentages of the total number of
women raped during 1992 in 14 states and the District of Columbia were
as follows:

State       Rape Victims Younger Than   Percentage of State Total
Alabama               15 years old                  24%
Arkansas              14                            24
Delaware              10                            22
Dist. of Columbia     16                            22
Florida               18                            46
Idaho                 16                            24
Kansas                15                            12
Michigan              10                            25
Nebraska              16                            31
North Carolina        16                            20
North Dakota          11                            25
Pennsylvania          15                            25
Rhode Island          14                            49
South Carolina        17                            40
Wisconsin             15                            22

     In the 1991 study in three states--Alabama, North Dakota and
South Carolina--police investigators determined that only 4 percent of the
rape victims younger than 12 years old were attacked by strangers during
1991.  All the other assailants were either family members (46 percent)
or acquaintances or friends (50 percent).  Twenty percent were raped by
their fathers.  Among 12- to 17-year-old victims, 20 percent were raped
by family members, 65 percent by an acquaintance or friend and 15
percent by a stranger.  Among those 18 years old or older, 12 percent
were raped by a family member, 55 percent by an acquaintance or friend
and 33 percent by a stranger.

     A 1991 BJS survey of state prisoners confined for child rape (the
rape of girls under 12) revealed that 94 percent of the offenders said their
victim was either a family member, acquaintance or friend, an estimate
almost identical to that found in the 1991 law enforcement data from the
three states.

     Single copies of the BJS Crime Data Brief, "Child Rape Victims,
1992" (NCJ-147001), as well as other BJS statistical reports may be
obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179, Annapolis Junction,
Maryland 20701-0179.  The telephone number is 1-800-732-3277.  Fax
orders to 410-792-4358.

94-81 
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354U.S. Department of Justice

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST                            BJS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994                            202-307-0784

                HALF OF WOMEN RAPED DURING 1992
                 WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Half of the women who reported they
had been raped during 1992 were juveniles under 18 years old, and 
16 percent were younger than 12, according to a Department of 
Justice study released today of 11 states and Washington, D.C. 

     A separate study in 1991 in three states found that 96 
percent of the female rape victims younger than 12 years old knew 
their attackers.  Twenty percent were victimized by their fathers.

     The figures were compiled by the Department's Bureau of 
Justice Statistics (BJS).  The information from 11 states and the 
District of Columbia was from police data and accounted for 20 
percent of the 109,000 rapes of females that were reported to law 
enforcement agencies during 1992.  

     BJS said this was the first multi-state study that documents 
the high frequency of child rape.

     "We have long known that many rape victims were young,"
commented Acting BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld.  "However, 
the new data tell us for the first time just how young some 
victims are and who their attackers were."

     BJS said that nationwide 17,000 girls under the age of 12 
were raped during 1992 but pointed out that this is a conservative 
estimate, because it included only reported rapes.  

     The young rape victims as percentages of the total number of
women raped during 1992 in 14 states and the District of Columbia 
were as follows:

State       Rape Victims Younger Than    Percentage of State Total

Alabama               15 years old                  24%
Arkansas              14                            24
Delaware              10                            22
Dist. of Columbia     16                            22
Florida               18                            46
Idaho                 16                            24
Kansas                15                            12
Michigan              10                            25
Nebraska              16                            31
North Carolina        16                            20
North Dakota          11                            25
Pennsylvania          15                            25
Rhode Island          14                            49
South Carolina        17                            40
Wisconsin             15                            22

     In the 1991 study in three states--Alabama, North Dakota and
South Carolina--police investigators determined that only 4 
percent of the rape victims younger than 12 years old were 
attacked by strangers during 1991.  All the other assailants were 
either family members (46 percent) or acquaintances or friends (50 
percent).  Twenty percent were raped by their fathers.  Among 12- 
to 17-year-old victims, 20 percent were raped by family members, 
65 percent by an acquaintance or friend and 15 percent by a 
stranger.  Among those 18 years old or older, 12 percent were 
raped by a family member, 55 percent by an acquaintance or friend 
and 33 percent by a stranger.

     A 1991 BJS survey of state prisoners confined for child rape 
(the rape of girls under 12) revealed that 94 percent of the 
offenders said their victim was either a family member, 
acquaintance or friend, an estimate almost identical to that found 
in the 1991 law enforcement data from the three states.

     Single copies of the BJS Crime Data Brief, "Child Rape 
Victims, 1992" (NCJ-147001), as well as other BJS statistical 
reports may be obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179, 
Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20701-0179.  The telephone number is 
1-800-732-3277.  Fax orders to 410-792-4358.

94-81 
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354

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Owning Topic : T=BJS Press Releases - 93 E= 374 Type = e


Date Published: June 22, 1994