Marital Rape Prevalence and Impact Require a Focused Approach to Dissuade Perpetrators and Avoid Victim Blame
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Keywords
sexual assault, prevention, intimate partner violence
Biography
Samantha Kinnear is a Psychology student at Marshall University. Her research interests are the neurological and behavioral effects of trauma and poverty, and the intersectionality of these topics, as well as relationship and family violence. She currently works as an Advocate at Contact Rape Crisis Center where she is leading prevention efforts through teaching about healthy relationships, boundary setting, and bystander intervention. She also has ten years of experience working as a childcare professional and volunteer experience in recovery and in the unhoused community. Her passion is in leading efforts to overcome poverty by appealing to individuals’ strengths and motivations.
Major
Psychology
Advisor for this project
Dawn Goel
Abstract
Of every 1000 rapes, less than 5 perpetrators will be incarcerated. In over half of rape cases, the perpetrator is a spouse or partner. More than 1 in 3 victims will experience sexual assault over twenty times within one relationship. Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) causes betrayal trauma and family strain. While the “real rape myth,” the belief that violent strangers commit rape, is declining, police continue to minimize the blame in cases of IPSV. Low victim reputation and later resistance to sexual contact also factor into reduced blame of the perpetrator. Officers make arrest decisions based on many factors, including probability of conviction; nature of the offense; characteristics of offender; possible deterrent value of prosecution to the offender and society; and willingness of the offender to cooperate with law enforcement. Victims’ choice to decline a forensics exam and difficulty of proving non-consent when there has been consensual sex with the same partner, versus using DNA evidence to prove sexual contact occurred in a stranger rape, factor into the disproportionately low number of arrests in IPSV cases. Due to the multiple victimizations and profoundly traumatic nature of IPSV, other approaches must be used when choosing to arrest and prosecute marital rapes. IPSV prevention efforts must also be made through validating IPSV victims and education on the trauma it causes. Keeping close record of educational efforts and prevalence of marital rapes will determine if education alone will significantly decrease IPSV or if further efforts must be made through arrest and prosecution.
Marital Rape Prevalence and Impact Require a Focused Approach to Dissuade Perpetrators and Avoid Victim Blame
Of every 1000 rapes, less than 5 perpetrators will be incarcerated. In over half of rape cases, the perpetrator is a spouse or partner. More than 1 in 3 victims will experience sexual assault over twenty times within one relationship. Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) causes betrayal trauma and family strain. While the “real rape myth,” the belief that violent strangers commit rape, is declining, police continue to minimize the blame in cases of IPSV. Low victim reputation and later resistance to sexual contact also factor into reduced blame of the perpetrator. Officers make arrest decisions based on many factors, including probability of conviction; nature of the offense; characteristics of offender; possible deterrent value of prosecution to the offender and society; and willingness of the offender to cooperate with law enforcement. Victims’ choice to decline a forensics exam and difficulty of proving non-consent when there has been consensual sex with the same partner, versus using DNA evidence to prove sexual contact occurred in a stranger rape, factor into the disproportionately low number of arrests in IPSV cases. Due to the multiple victimizations and profoundly traumatic nature of IPSV, other approaches must be used when choosing to arrest and prosecute marital rapes. IPSV prevention efforts must also be made through validating IPSV victims and education on the trauma it causes. Keeping close record of educational efforts and prevalence of marital rapes will determine if education alone will significantly decrease IPSV or if further efforts must be made through arrest and prosecution.
