Acquaintance Rape

Abstract

Acquaintance rape is defined as rape that is perpetrated by an assailant who is known to any degree by the victim. In early studies, acquaintance rape was sometimes termed “hidden” or “unacknowledged” rape due to lack of reporting and documentation of incidents. Studies have repeatedly shown that acquaintance rape is the most common type of rape as it is estimated to make up 60–80% of all rapes. Like stranger rape, acquaintance rape can cause physical injuries and have psychological consequences for victims. There are both criminal and civil remedies for acquaintance rape cases, and restorative justice approaches have also been tested with some evidence of effectiveness. Current research trends in programming to prevent acquaintance rape include bystander intervention, psychoeducational programs targeting boys and men, and resistance skills training for women.

Women of Color Student Survivors’ Perceptions of Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Programming

“…Margaret hopes for more of a focus on assault between acquaintances, veering away from scenarios that involve romantic relationships. All women perceive a focus on stranger rape, which may not be greatly beneficial to preventing CSA because strangers are statistically less likely to be perpetrators of CSA (Lopez et al, 2019). Furthermore, while it may appear that many of the participants wanted their institution to focus on only one specific type of sexual assault scenario--e.g., stranger rape, acquaintance rape--their needs and suggestions were quite the opposite.…”

(Un)safe Spaces: The Relationship Between Slavery and Sexual Victimization of Black Women

“…For example, the age of the perpetrator and survivor is a strong correlate of both IPSV and NIPSV; research, however, has made some distinctions. Thirty-eight percent of acquaintance rape victims are between the ages of 14 and 17, with the average age of all reported acquaintance rapes in adolescent and college women being 18.5 years (Lopez et al, 2019). Similar to IPSV, men are less likely to experience non-intimate partner rape when compared to women (1 in 71 men vs. 1 in 5 women) (Brecklin & Ullman, 2010).…”

Neighborhood-Level Predictors of Sexual Violence Across Intimate Partner and Non-Intimate Partner Relationships: A Case–Control Study

“…There are similarities between the individual correlates of IPSV and NIPSV, but with some exceptions. Younger ages of both perpetrator and survivor may be a strong correlate, as 38% of acquaintance rape victims are 14–17 years old, and the average age of all reported acquaintance rapes in adolescent and college victims is 18.5 years (Lopez et al, 2019). Similarly, the overall lifetime prevalence of rape is lower for men (1 in 71 men vs. 1 in 5 women), yet half of sexual assaults against men involve either acquaintances (52%) or strangers (15.1%), with the majority under the age of 25 (Brecklin, & Ullman, 2010).…”

“…This may include sexual abuse or assault in marital or dating relationships, non-romantic acquaintances, and stranger encounters, as well as incidents of poly-victimization (e.g., multiple forms of abuse in one relationship) or involving persons who are too intoxicated or otherwise lack capacity to consent (Dartnall, & Jewkes, 2013). Recent data indicate that current intimate partners are the most common victims of sexual violence (e.g., dating or marital partnership; Smith et al, 2018), followed by non-intimate partners (acquaintance and strangers; Smith et al, 2018), though acquaintance rape is estimated to be 60–80% of all reported sexual assaults (Lopez et al, 2019).…”