University of Memphis researchers, in coordination with several community partners, are working to increase community awareness about the frightening incidence of crimes of rape and sexual assault.
The Memphis Model is a project that is focused on research-driven, collaborative problem-solving. The researchers include Dr. Richard Janikowski, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Phyllis Betts, a member of the Center for Research on Women and an associate professor in the Department of Sociology.
The research, funded by grants from the National Institute for Justice, focuses on analyzing statistical evidence gathered from reported cases of sexual assault and rape in the Memphis area.
The goals of the project are to identify and design intervention tactics to help and support victims after an attack, and to create a sociological portrait of rape victims and their attackers in order to develop ways to stop attacks before they happen.
Memphis, where the incidence of sexual assault is among the highest in the nation, has been selected as one of five cities for the Strategic Approach to Community Safety Initiative. Community partners involved include the Memphis Police Department, the U.S. Attorney General’s office, the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center and the Memphis and Shelby County Crime Commission.
According to the Memphis Police Department, the most recent statistics indicate the rate of rape is 114 per 100,000. From January to June 2000, 329 forcible rapes were reported. It is estimated that every day in the city of Memphis, 1,871 adult women become victims of rape — but only 16 percent of rapes are ever reported. In 1998, 304 offenders were convicted; however, 98 percent of victims never see their attackers arrested, tried or imprisoned.
On a national scale, one in six American women will be victims of rape or sexual assault in their lifetime, and 3 percent of men (2.78 million) have experienced an attempted or complete rape.
Contrary to popular belief, four of out ten rapes take place in the victims’ homes, and 62 percent of victims know their assailants.
In order to combat the problem, Memphis officials have started to make changes in their procedures for handling rape cases, based on data findings from the Memphis Model project. Changes include packaging social support sources and law enforcement, making designated sex crimes officers available 24 hours a day and prosecuting sex crimes as a priority — including appointing prosecutors whose case load is dedicated to sex crimes.
