Interpreting statistical studies—two
resources.
How would you interpret
the following two accounts?
One lists the results of a large body
of different research projects conducted within the
last twenty years (fuller reference information is at the website—click
on "Source"). The other is from the Society for the Scientific
Study of Sexuality.
"Despite the significant
milestones attained in the anti-violence movement over the past several
decades, sexual violence continues to permeate our
communities with alarming frequency. Statistics show:
Source
• 1 in 4 girls and 1
in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted by age
18 (1990).
• Of female Americans who are raped, 54% experience
their first rape before age 18.
• Persons under 18 years of age account for 67%
of all sexual assault victimizations reported to law
enforcement agencies.
• Children under 12 years old account for 34%
of those cases and
children under six years account for 14% of
those cases (2000).
• 1.8 million
of the 22.3 million adolescents in the United States
have been sexually assaulted.
• Of surveyed men who were incarcerated for rape,
40% reported their victims were children,
and
80% reported their victims were under 18
years old (1997).
• Child-victims of rape know
their offended prior to the incident 90% of the time
(1996).
• Juveniles are responsible for victimizing
40% of the
child sexual assault victims under six years of age
(2000).
• 23% of all sexual offenders
are under the age of 18 (2000).
•
• Chances that a woman will develop post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD)
after being raped are between 50% and 95% (1999).
• One study estimated that, in one 12 month period,
302,091 adult American women and
92,748 adult American men
experience a completed or attempted rape.
Because some persons suffer multiple rapes, it is estimated
that
876,064 rapes of adult American women and
111,298 rapes of adult American men occur
annually (1998).
"In a more recent study, sexual
scientists observed a rather
steady decline in rates of reported sexual assault in the U.S.
from 1995—when Internet pornography
availability began to increase quite dramatically—to 2005.
Thus, after a full decade of the easiest
availability of every type
of erotic, degrading, and violent pornographic material
no increase in rates of reported sexual
assault was found.
A related body of literature has, with
a few exceptions, generally found that
convicted sex offenders report
less exposure to sexually explicit materials
compared to individuals who are not sex offenders."
From The Society
for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
The Society's pamphlet.
