NCJ Number
137638
Journal
The Public Interest Pages: 54-65
Date Published
Unknown
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Most major media outlets have presented detailed accounts of the high rate of sexual abuse and sexual assault in the U.S. This "epidemic" is said to be silent because it involves a wide range of behaviors not yet understood to be abusive.
Abstract
This author describes some of the current research on the issues of sexual abuse and assault and notes that many of the figures presented in the academic, mass, and law enforcement literature are contradictory. Part of the variance can be ascribed to the distinction between incidence rates and prevalence rates; different sampling procedures; and varying methods of gathering data. But the most significant difference lies in the definitions of sexual molestation used, which can range from full penetration to unwanted touches or verbal aggression. According to the author, the feminist movement has responded to the silent epidemic of sexual assault by promoting programs that teach and enforce radical prescriptions to alter intimate relations between adults and children and between women and men.