Population-based study of police-reported sexual assault in Baltimore, Maryland.

Charles McC. Mathias National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA. kread@som.umaryland.edu

OBJECTIVE: To document the population-based incidence of sexual assault in Baltimore, Md, victims' alcohol/drug use, and pre-event circumstances. METHODS: Between 1997 and 1999, the city's sexual assault treatment center treated 1,038 victims (age>or=13 years). Data were extracted from forensic narratives. Analysis was restricted to frequency tables and bar graphs. Incidence was calculated based on 1998 population figures. RESULTS: The incidence of sexual assault among females aged 13 years or older was 117 per 100,000. Seventy percent of patients were less than 30 years old. Fifty-three percent tested positive for alcohol/drugs. Two thirds sustained physical or genital injury; 30% sustained both. The most common pre-event circumstances were walking/being followed (27%) and visiting a friend's home (24%). CONCLUSION: This study revealed a high prevalence of physical/genital injury, supporting the call for an injury severity scale for sexual assault and for increased substance abuse counseling and educational/health resources to mitigate sexual assault and offer meaningful response when such crimes occur.

PMID: 15915397 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]