FBI to expand definition of rape to include more crimes

[Survivoreesta]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's recent decision to update its narrow definition of rape could correct what advocates have described as chronic undercounting of the crime in communities nationwide.

FBI Director Robert Mueller told a U.S. Senate panel on Dec. 14 that he would accept a recommendation to update the agency's definition of rape, according to a video of the hearing aired on C-SPAN. He said he expected the change to go into effect "sometime in the spring."

For about 80 years, the FBI has defined rape as "the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will," officials said. Only sexual assaults that fit the narrow definition are counted as rape in the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Reporting program ---- the crime data that policymakers and the public most often see.

"That definition was in some ways unworkable, certainly not applicable ---- fully applicable ---- to the types of crimes that it should cover," Mueller said of the definition during the senate hearing.

Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/region-fbi-to-expand-definition-of-rape-to-include-more/article_e994cb9f-06cd-5c32-9199-b75eb84bca95.html#ixzz1iKxDI0Ms


About time!!

[FreakinDJ]

1. But not Rape of the American Tax Payer via "Wall St Banksters"

thanks ass hole

[Survivoreesta]

4. Me???>

[TBF]

5. Try to stay on task -

you can complain about bankers in many threads, but this has to do with a violent crime against women (and sometimes against men), and even against children. Try to see that this is something good coming out of the Obama Administration (I know the things are few and far between) and try to accept that.

If you'd like to talk about bankers in another thread, I will be there and happy to chime in, but no need to shit on the good news this OP brings.

[Survivoreesta]

17. Thank you>

I still know if he was talking about Mueller or me!

[alp227]

22. I thought this was more an FBI than admin decision. Thanks for clarifying,

and I wonder if Romney et al. would roll back this change?

[TBF]

27. May be more FBI, but I give thanks for anything good coming out of Washington these days -

and this is a good thing.

[24601]

28. When you consider prison populations, you may omit the modifier "sometimes" preceeding

"against men". On a per capita basis, this aspect outnumbers crimes against women in the US.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2007/12/15/us-federal-statistics-show-widespread-prison-rape

[joshcryer]

34. Reasonable as usual, TBF.

Thanks.

[Mojeoux]

36. Agreeeee-ment!

Thanks!
Good looking out.

[etherealtruth]

8. I'm not understanding your reply ...?

Is the implication that the FBI should be working on important things and not "trivial" things such as sexual assault ...?

I truly hope not.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Sexual assault is generally a felony by way of state law--

the FBI isn't ordinarily involved, unless the Mann Act or some other Federal law was violated.

The FBI does, however, maintain many databases on both state & federal crimes.

[etherealtruth]

16. Yep, I am aware of that ...

I don't understand why the "rape" of the american tax payer was brought up in response to a post about sexual assault

[TBF]

29. I didn't like that either -

not sure if it was an actual attempt to trivialize rape or if it just had that effect.

I know folks are frustrated on many levels and it may have just come out wrong.

[valerief]

30. My first thought!!!! nt

[seabeyond]

2. Reducing rape with an eraser

U.S. News and World Report (April 24, 2000) said, ''facing political heat to cut crime in the city, investigators in the New York PPD's Sex Crime Unit sat on (thousands of) reports of rapes and other sexual assaults.''

One officer snarled; ''The way crime was solved was with an eraser.''

In 2000 even the FBI admitted that one district ''failed to report between 13,000 and 37,000 major crimes.''

''A 2000 Philadelphia Inquirer report found from 1997-1999, of 300,000 sex crime reports, thousands of rapes got relabeled ''investigation of persons'' or ''investigation, protection, and medical examination'' – non-crime codes.''

''This puts one in four rapes in a non-crime category.''

Lying sure reduces rape!

http://www.whale.to/a/reisman5.html

______________________

more in link

now it is time they address the police departments across the nation

[alp227]

23. Uh oh. Bad site! Bad author!

Whale.to=quack alt medicine site
Judith Reisman=fundamentalist Christian homophobe who panics over basic sex education, see her interview with Thom Hartmann or this article detailing her misrepresentation of Kinsey research.

[seabeyond]

24. does that make the facts wrong?

it is so hard to look everywhere and nowhere to make sure there is nOTHING religious in what is posted. what i say, there was nothing.

thanks for the heads up

but i ask, does that make the facts wrong. these are quotes from people in law enforcement across the nation. there is plenty of confirmation if one googles.

but again, thanks.

[alp227]

25. I can't access wayback machine in China for the US News article but here's the Philly one

http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/data/philacrime/about.htm

[seabeyond]

26. thanks. this was an easy grab to get across the point.

i will do more research and find a more credible source.

[alp227]

35. archived link to the US News story

"http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/000424/philly.htm" target="_blank">Listening to the victims"

[Control-Z]

3. And all while

the lunatic anti-choicers are trying to narrow it more. HAHAHAHA

Edit: to add link for those who aren't aware of what those crazies are trying to do.

What's Behind The Drive To Redefine Rape In New And Insane Ways:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/whats-behind-the-drive-to-redefine-rape_n_816967.html

[patrice]

6. Women get in trouble for talking about this stuff! Someone needs to fix that.

[a2liberal]

7. Not that I have a problem with this but

why is the FBI defining rape? Shouldn't that be in a law? (just curious)

[etherealtruth]

9. From the article

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's recent decision to update its narrow definition of rape could correct what advocates have described as chronic undercounting of the crime in communities nationwide.

Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/region-fbi-to-expand-definition-of-rape-to-include-more/article_e994cb9f-06cd-5c32-9199-b75eb84bca95.html#ixzz1iLKmNoce

[a2liberal]

10. I think you misunderstood my question

I wasn't asking why they're changing the definition, but why there is an "FBI definition" of rape in the first place (as opposed to a federal law). No political point to my question, just the curiosity of the law nerd in me.

[Robb]

11. I think it's an accounting issue, sort of.

And accounting informs budgets and priorities. The notion is that FBI involvement in rape is less than it should be, because its own resources are improperly allocated due to the narrow definition used by the agency.

Someone correct me if I'm off, this is how I understand it.

[a2liberal]

12. I see, thanks :) (n/t)

[etherealtruth]

13. LOL, I understood your question ...

I think my reply was unclear.

The FBI keeps track of national crime statistics. The statistics can identify trends in crime; they can also identify trends in law enforcement.

The statistics alone can effect (by the mere publication of the numbers) the way law enforcement agencies respond to particular crimes.

[a2liberal]

21. Ok I see that now

Sorry I missed it

[Gormy Cuss]

19. FBI definitions of crimes are used to rollup local crime statistics to a national database of crime,

the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. This is the basic database for tracking crimes at a national level. Each state defines crimes within their own laws and the standard for what constitutes a specific crime (rape being one example) can be dramatically different from one state to another. The uniformity of the reporting to the FBI makes the data more comparable across states and makes the database more useful to law enforcement entities and the DOJ researchers as well as many other researchers.

Eons ago I did UCR reports for a local LE agency. There's a very thorough handbook published by the FBI/DOJ but as an encoder my first resource was a state handbook which crosswalked state crime definitions to the appropriate UCR category.

[a2liberal]

20. That makes sense, thanks! (n/t)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. good news! K&R

[uppityperson]

18. k&r and about time.

[Hugabear]

31. But male prison rape will always be condoned and even funny - especially if they "deserve it"

I shouldn't have to add the icon, but seems that too many people - even here on DU - seem to hold the view that male prison rape is still a joking matter.

[a2liberal]

33. Sad, isn't it?

It always makes me mad when I see that sort of joke (or even worse, a sincere version of it when the person posting hates the criminal in question and thus wishes it upon them)

[Mojeoux]

37. Sadly Hugabear I know just what you mean

It is so infuriating. I dare anyone to try and find a reference regarding a character going to jail, in a humorous TV show or a movie where prison-rape is NOT a joke.

[jtuck004]

32. "As far as law enforcement is concerned, we won't be doing anything differently," Carter said."

From the article above.

Is that because too many of the resources are going toward picking on MMJ users and keeping black folk locked up, while billions go into the banks for salaries and bonuses instead of being invested by us to create opportunity for everyone?

I wonder if they could add something about this being about violence against the victim, not sex? Or if that would get in the way of a juicy, salacious story?

And they can create a category all they want, but most guys in most cultures, (I suspect from about age 6 up would), literally, die rather than admit this happened to them, so perhaps just acknowledging it isn't enough. But still better than nothing. Maybe in a hundred years...

thanks for this.