Study shows 28p.c. of American women raped

Press, 27 April 1987, Page 35

Study shows 28p.c. of American women raped

By

MALCOLM RITTER

of Associated Press

through NZPA New York About 28 per cent of United States - college women have experienced rape or attempted rape since the age of 14, according to a national study. “I would not like to believe this is true, yet it is," said a researcher, Mary Koss, who co-wrote a report on the study in the April issue of the “Journal of Consulting

and Clinical Psychology.” Along with - previous studies that show similar or higher numbers among other samples of women, “the message is that women are reporting a widespread prevalence of these forms of intimate sexual violence” that met her study’s definition of. rape, said Ms Koss, a psychology professor at Kent State University in Ohio. She and two colleagues surveyed 3187 women and 2972 men at 32 institutions

across the country, including colleges, junior colleges and technical-voca-tional schools. The women had an average age of 21 years; 85 per cent were single, and 86 per cent were white. . The study asked the women if they had experi-

enced sexual intercourse against their will because a man gave them alcohol or drugs or threatened or used force, or if they had unwillingly experienced anal or. oral intercourse or penetration by objects because of physical force or threats.

Using that definition of rape, the survey found 15.4 per cent of women had experienced rape and 111 per cent more had experienced attempts Among men, 4.4 per cent reported performing rapes and 3.3 per cent reported attempts.