Local public record data: A rape crisis center tool for program planning and intervention

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the use of local public record data by a rape crisis center for program planning and intervention in the area of rape prevention. While a number of national studies describe victim and offender characteristics and cirsumstances of rape, these studies may be inappropriate for local planning efforts due to the lack of generalizability of national or regional statistics to local populations. Local data, available from easily accessed police and court records provide immediate and relevant information for local needs.Community rape data from the years 1977-1979 are described. Examples are presented which detail the use of local data by a rape crisis center to: enhance educational programs, target populations most needing victim services, improve program planning and volunteer training, facilitate intervention strategies with the police and court systems, and provide information for social service planning and advocacy.Issues related to data collection are discussed, and the use of public record data by other grass-roots victim services such as spouse-abuse and elder-abuse prevention services is advocated.