Comments on: Statutory Rape Crime Statistics http://www.frcblog.com/2008/04/statutory-rape-crime-statistics/ The Blog of Family Research Council Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:08:46 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Suricou Raven http://www.frcblog.com/2008/04/statutory-rape-crime-statistics/comment-page-1/#comment-979 Suricou Raven Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:29:13 +0000 http://new.frcblog.agathongroup.com/?p=428#comment-979 "The younger a girl is when she begins engaging in sexual activity, the more likely she is to be a risk taker, have poorer judgment, or come to early initiation through a history of sexual abuse that would orient her toward older partners." I can't be sure exactly what this is trying to say. Annoying, because the precise meaning is very important. It could be saying one of two things: Either that early sexual activity makes girls more risk-taking, or that a risk-taking personality means an earlier expected age of first sexual activity. The latter makes a lot more sense to me. It's still a poorly-written paragraph that doesn't make the meaning clear. "95% involved female victims with male offenders." I sense a reporting bias: When the victim is a male, then it is probably less likely to be reported to the police, and if the police do hear then conviction is less likely (Jury being influenced by steriotyping). "About 60% of the female adolescents were aged 14 or 15." Ah, 'duh' comes to mind. This is statutory rape. That means under 16/17/18 by definition, which one of those depending on state. As the numbers are put in such an awkward way, I suspect distortion. "Approximately 45% of the male participants were age 21 or over" Which could also be read as just over half the male participents being 18, 19 or 20. Which makes me wonder how many 19 year olds are in jail for having an 18-year-old girlfriend. “The younger a girl is when she begins engaging in sexual activity, the more likely she is to be a risk taker, have poorer judgment, or come to early initiation through a history of sexual abuse that would orient her toward older partners.”

I can’t be sure exactly what this is trying to say. Annoying, because the precise meaning is very important. It could be saying one of two things: Either that early sexual activity makes girls more risk-taking, or that a risk-taking personality means an earlier expected age of first sexual activity. The latter makes a lot more sense to me. It’s still a poorly-written paragraph that doesn’t make the meaning clear.

“95% involved female victims with male offenders.”

I sense a reporting bias: When the victim is a male, then it is probably less likely to be reported to the police, and if the police do hear then conviction is less likely (Jury being influenced by steriotyping).

“About 60% of the female adolescents were aged 14 or 15.”

Ah, ‘duh’ comes to mind. This is statutory rape. That means under 16/17/18 by definition, which one of those depending on state. As the numbers are put in such an awkward way, I suspect distortion.

“Approximately 45% of the male participants were age 21 or over”

Which could also be read as just over half the male participents being 18, 19 or 20. Which makes me wonder how many 19 year olds are in jail for having an 18-year-old girlfriend.

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