Myths and Legends: The Reality of Rape Offences Reported to a UK Police Force

I think the findings from the academic study excerpted below speak for themselves.  They show that, contrary to feminist hysteria, rape as it is conventionally imagined is exceedlingly rare in the UK.  Such unpopular findings are probably why the paper has not made it into the journals but has remained a conference paper only. It is however available online from Research Gate or from the authors

By Genevieve Waterhouse, Ali Reynolds & Vincent Egan

The ‘real rape’ myth involves a stranger attacking a woman alone at night in a secluded outdoor area. It often includes violence, the victim sustaining serious injuries and a weapon (Du Mont et al., 2003).

The present study analysed the frequency with which each aspect of the myth occurred in rapes reported to a police force in a typical British region over two years.

Although nearly a third of rapes were committed by strangers, most of these offenders had spent some time with their victim (e.g. had been drinking with them prior to the attack). When the offender had met the victim before the offence, they had most frequently met in a pub, club, or in a town centre (40.5%), followed by in the street (19%) or through friends (12.1%).

Of 400 cases, none fit all the ‘real rape’ myth criteria. Only two cases in which a weapon was used were carried out by a stranger to the victim; one of which fits the myth except for that the victim sustained slight (rather than serious) injuries. The only correct characteristic of the ‘real rape’ myth was the timing (when the time of the offence was recorded, it was often between 11pm and 5am) and that when stranger rapes did occur, they were more likely to take place in the open-air and lead to the victim sustaining slight injuries.

Thus, the ‘real rape’ myth is a particularly inaccurate portrayal of the ‘average’ rape reported to the police in this sample. Stranger rapes were more likely to involve the victim drinking alcohol, the victim and offender having spent some time together, a young female victim and an older male offender. Additionally, they often occurred in the victim’s home.

This suggests that stranger rape may have a connection to the night-time economy, rather than the ‘stranger-in-the-bush’ scenario. However, both domestic and acquaintance rapes were reported more often than stranger rapes.

CONFERENCE PAPER · SEPTEMBER 2013

1 comment:

  1. They show that, contrary to feminist hysteria, rape as it is conventionally imagined is exceedlingly rare in the UK.

    WTF- I don't understand? Have you totally missed the point of the article? Why don't you ask an adult to explain what the findings are actually saying.

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