220 Unit 3 CURRENTSOCIAL ANDEMOTIONALCONCERNSreporting abuse in their own states. Many cases re-
main unreported. The local agency on aging can pro-
vide procedures for reporting abuse in accordance with
state laws. To find the local agency, call the national
information center at 1-800-677-1116.Treatment and Intervention
Elder abuse may develop gradually as the burden of
caregiving exceeds the caretaker’s physical or emo-
tional resources. Relieving the caregiver’s stress and
providing additional resources may help to correct
the abusive situation and leave the caregiving rela-
tionship intact. In other cases, the neglect or abuse is
intentional and designed to provide personal gain to
the caregiver such as access to the victim’s financial
resources. In these situations, removal of the elder or
caregiver is necessary.RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
Rapeis a crime of violence and humiliation of the vic-
tim expressed through sexual means. Rape is the per-
petration of an act of sexual intercourse with a female
against her will and without her consent, whether her
will is overcome by force, fear of force, drugs, or in-
toxicants. It is also considered rape if the woman is
incapable of exercising rational judgment because
of mental deficiency or when she is below the age
of consent (which varies among states from 14 to
18 years) (van der Kolk, 2000). The crime of rape re-
quires only slight penetration of the outer vulva; full
erection and ejaculation are not necessary. Forced
acts of fellatio and anal penetration, although they
frequently accompany rape, are legally considered
sodomy. The woman who is raped also may be phys-
ically beaten and injured.
Rape can occur between strangers, acquaintances,
married persons, and persons of the same sex although
seven states define domestic violence in a way that
excludes same-sex victims (ABA Commission on Do-
mestic Violence, 2000). Strangers commit about 50%
of rapes, while men known to the victims commit the
rest. A phenomenon called date rape (acquain-
tance rape)may occur on a first date, on a ride
home from a party, or when the two people have known
each other for some time. It is more prevalent near col-
lege and university campuses. The CDC Division of
Violence Prevention (1999) reports that the rate of
serious injuries associated with dating violence in-
creases with increased consumption of alcohol by
either victim or perpetrator.
Rape is a highly underreported crime: estimates
are that only 1 rape is reported for every 4 to 10 rapes
that occur. The underreporting is attributed to the
victim’s feelings of shame and guilt, the fear of fur-
ther injury, and the belief that she has no recourse in
the legal system. Victims of rape can be any age: re-
ported cases have ranged from 15 months to 82 years.
The highest incidence is in girls and women 16 to
24 years of age. Girls younger than 18 years were the
victims in 61% of the rapes reported (American Med-
ical Association, 1999).
Rape most commonly occurs in a woman’s neigh-
borhood, often inside or near her home. Most rapes
are premeditated. Close relatives of the victim perpe-
trate 7% of cases; 10% involve more than one attacker.
Rape results in pregnancy about 10% of the time (van
der Kolk, 2000).
Male rape is a significantly underreported crime.
It can occur between gay partners or strangers but
is most prevalent in institutions such as prisons or
maximum-security hospitals. Estimates are that 2%
to 5% of male inmates are sexually assaulted, but the
figure may be much higher. This type of rape is par-
ticularly violent, and the dynamics of power and con-
trol are the same as for heterosexual rape.Dynamics of Rape
Most men who commit rapes are 25 to 44 years of
age. In terms of race, 51% are white and tend to rape
white victims, and 47% are African American and
tend to rape African-American victims; the remaining
2% come from all other races. Alcohol is involved in
34% of cases. Rape often accompanies another crime.
Almost 75% of arrested rapists have prior criminal
histories including other rapes, assaults, robberies,
and homicides (van der Kolk, 2000).
Recent research has categorized male rapists into
four categories:- Sexual sadists who are aroused by the pain
of their victims - Exploitive predators who impulsively use
their victims as objects for gratification - Inadequate men who believe that no woman
would voluntarily have sexual relations
with them and are obsessed with fantasies
about sex - Men for whom rape is a displaced expression
of anger and rage (van der Kolk, 2000)
Feminist theory proposes that women have his-
torically served as objects for aggression, dating back
to when women (and children) were legally the prop-
erty of men. In 1982, for the first time a married man
was convicted of raping his wife, signaling the end
to the notion that sexual intercourse could not be
denied in the context of marriage.
Women who are raped are frequently in a life-
threatening situation, so their primary motivation
is to stay alive. At times, attempts to resist or fight
the attacker succeed; in other situations, fighting and