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. 2024 Dec;30(15-16):3991-4011.
doi: 10.1177/10778012231188088. Epub 2023 Jul 30.

Perceptions of Sexual Violence Terms Used in Statutes Throughout the United States

Gillian M Pinchevsky  1 , Megan Bears Augustyn  2 , Alan H Kennedy  3 , Callie Marie Rennison  4
Affiliations

Perceptions of Sexual Violence Terms Used in Statutes Throughout the United States

Gillian M Pinchevsky et al. Violence Against Women. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

The terminology used to describe sexually violent offenses vary, and how these labels are interpreted by the public remains unclear. This study explores the terms for the primary-legally most severe-offense of sexual violence in legal statutes across the United States and investigates how different terms evoke different perceptions about crime severity. Results indicate that nine different terms are used to identify the primary offense of sexual violence in state statutes, with significant differences in perceived severity for these terms. The findings have implications for the public's (mis)understanding of sexual violence and the treatment of survivors and perpetrators.

Keywords: labeling of sexual violence; rape; sexual violence; state laws.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References