This study examines the justice system's decision that sexual violence, particularly rape, is not an economic crime. The authors estimate the tangible and intangible financial costs of sexual violence in Michigan. In 1996, rape and sexual assault cost Michigan more than $6.5 billion, most of which came in the form of intangible costs. Sex-offense homicide cost more than $18 million, two thirds of which was intangible costs. If divided equallyas a “rape tax,” each resident of Michigan would have paid nearly $700 in 1996 to cover the cost of sexual violence. The implication is that prevention is the best way to reduce the high cost of sexual violence. Furthermore, rape and sexual assault need to be identified as a public health issue to raise awareness about sexual violence. Finally, courts and prosecutors need to think about sexual violence as an economic crime to better protect victims and survivors of sexual violence.
High-risk alcohol consumption is a significant problem on college campuses that many students see as a rite of passage in their development into adulthood. Developing effective prevention campaigns designed to lessen or avert the risks associated with alcohol consumption entails understanding how students perceive harmful consequences as well as the ways they protect themselves while drinking. This study used survey research to determine what undergraduate students perceived to be the most severe alcohol-related harms and the protective behaviors that they thought would be effective at averting those harms. Results showed that students saw forced sex as the most severe alcohol-related harm, and the most commonly described protective behavior was personal responsibility. Implications of these findings for campus-focused health communication strategists and directions for future research are discussed.
The debate over immigration continues to be one of the most politically charged policy issues in the United States (US). Given the charged nature of this topic, it is vitally important to have reliable data on not only the number of US foreign nationals but also the characteristics of this extremely heterogeneous group – a population comprised not only of immigrants but also of refugees. There exist a small number of data sources for informing policy and practice at the national level. However, such data are often lacking for smaller geographical areas. This paper describes a recent effort to generate serviceable data on the immigrant and refugee population for a medium‐sized metropolitan area in the US. The objectives of this research were twofold. Our first goal was to provide local stakeholders with information to assist them with resettling and obtaining funding for immigrants and refugees. The second aim was to develop better techniques for tabulating diverse refugees and immigrants in a medium‐sized community. By comparing and contrasting three data sources – that is, refugee services, public schools and a local health plan – we are able to generate estimates of the local refugee and immigrant population. During the period from 2005 to 2007, we estimate the total number of immigrants and refugees in the community to be somewhere between 10,938 and 13,282. Although perhaps a bit on the high end due to methodological assumptions, these estimates seem plausible, based on previously cited figures for the region. While such estimates are valuable, a number of shortcomings related to the data prevent us from painting a more complete picture of these populations. We conclude this paper with a number of recommendations that will assist others in planning research designed to inform migration policy and practice in medium‐sized metropolitan areas.
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