By Julie Cunningham
For reasons state officials cannot explain, Utah is ranked 14th highest in the nation for reported rapes, higher than New York, Washington D.C. or California, according to the FBI Web site.
Utah also has more reported rapes than the national average. In 2001, there were 38.02 reported rapes per 100,000 people in Utah, compared to 32 in the United States in 2000, said Mike Haddon, research director at the Utah Commission of Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
'There''s a variety of things that could be going on that is causing Utah to have more reported rapes,' Haddon said. 'It could be the victims of rape in Utah are more willing to report that crime to the police. If the victims are more prone to report than the national average, then our numbers would be higher.'
Haddon said this higher statistic could be because resources available to the community have increased, such as rape advocacy groups, crisis centers and emergency room teams that deal specifically with rape cases. As the resources increase, so do the people that use them.
'(The commission) saw quite a jump in the rape rate when those resources came online, and that was mostly a function of increased reporting rather than an increase in the actual number of victimization,' he said.
One of the resources offered by Utah County is the Rape Crisis Line. Survivors of sexual assault, or their loved ones, can call 377-5500 to speak with a trained member of the rape crisis team for answers to questions and emotional support, said Sandy Carter, rape crisis team coordinator.
'Last year at our rape crisis center, we helped around 300 survivors and their friends or family,' Carter said. 'A lot of those aren''t the reported rape, but the people calling in and needing someone to talk to or support.'
One in 10 rapes are reported in both Utah and the United States, Carter said. One in three women and one in seven men will experience sexual assault sometime in their life.
'Everyone is at risk,' she said. 'It seems that most of them happen in the teen years and the early 20s, but everyone is susceptible to it.'
Seeking help soon after the assault is important for the victim both physically and legally, Carter said.
'The 72 hours that immediately follow the assault is a perfect window of opportunity to collect the medical evidence,' Carter said. 'After those 72 hours, the chances of seeing any of the remaining fluids just aren''t real high. Also, the perpetrator is easier to question if it''s recently after the assault, and he hasn''t had time to think about it too much.'
Carter said most rape perpetrators are not strangers hiding behind a bush on a dark night. Most of the time they are acquaintances or people that are known and trusted by the victim.
'Rape protection is a risk reduction method,' she said. 'If you are at a party, drink responsibly. Go with friends, leave with those friends, and watch out for your friends at the party. But above all, just trust your gut instincts. If a situation doesn''t feel comfortable and good, it''s probably not.'
Utah''s higher rape rate cannot only be attributed to higher rape reporting, Haddon said.
'Is it a reporting issue or are there more victimizations here in Utah for some reason?' he said. 'What is it about our culture that would make us more prone to be victims of this kind of crime, or are we more willing to report this kind of crime because of our culture? Those are answers that are really difficult to get at.'
Utah is lower than the national average in other violent crimes, Haddon said.
'Of the four measurable violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, Utah is generally three times lower than the national average on every single kind of violent crime, with the exception of rape,' he said.