Indicator Profile of Rape
Why Is This Important?
The 2007 Rape in Utah Survey from the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice indicated that Utah violent crime rates were lower than national rates for homicides, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Despite the low rates of violent crimes as a total, the rape rate in Utah has been significantly higher than the national rate since 2000.Rape affects the quality of life and may have lasting consequences for victims. The 2006 Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that rape victims had a significantly higher prevalence in reporting that they were not satisfied with life (11.4% vs. 3.3%), didn't receive the social and emotional support they need (27.2% vs. 12.5%), and were limited in activities because of physical, mental, or emotional problems (37.1% vs. 17.7%). Furthermore, the prevalence of major depression was significantly higher among victims (13.7%) compared to non-victims (3.8%).
Furthermore, the impact of sexual violence on the community is costly. At $127 billion per year, rape has the highest annual victim costs of any crime.
Sources:
1) Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, 2007 Rape in Utah Survey, (accessed 10/28/2009) http://www.nomoresecrets.utah.gov/RapeinUtah2007.pdf
2) Utah Health Status Update, Sexual Violence, April 2008, (accessed 10/28/2009) http://health.utah.gov/opha/publications/hsu/08Apr_SexualViolence.pdf
3) U.S. Department of Justice, Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look, 1996.
Data Notes
Forcible rape, as defined in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program, is the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Assaults and attempts to commit rape by force or threat of force are also included; however, statutory rape (without force) and other sex offenses are excluded. The rape rate includes only those that have been reported to law enforcement and is an underestimate of the actual rape rate. Some law enforcement agencies do not submit a full 12 months of data and some agencies do not submit any data at all.Data Sources
Bureau of Criminal Identification, Utah Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Population Estimates: Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget; U.S. Bureau of the Census;Other Views
Definition
The rape rate is reported as the number of rapes among Utah females per 100,00 population.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | Number of reported rapes among females in Utah. |
| Denominator: | Total female population of Utah. |
Page Content Updated On 10/29/09,
Published on 10/29/09
