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Published in:

01-09-2006

Sexual Violence Inside Prisons: Rates of Victimization

Authors: Nancy Wolff, Cynthia L. Blitz, Jing Shi, Ronet Bachman, Jane A. Siegel

Published in: Journal of Urban Health | Issue 5/2006

Abstract

People in prison are exposed to and experience sexual violence inside prisons, further exposing them to communicable diseases and trauma. The consequences of sexual violence follow the individual into the community upon release. This paper estimates the prevalence of sexual victimization within a state prison system. A total of 6,964 men and 564 women participated in a survey administered using audio-CASI. Weighted estimates of prevalence were constructed by gender and facility size. Rates of sexual victimization varied significantly by gender, age, perpetrator, question wording, and facility. Rates of inmate-on-inmate sexual victimization in the previous 6 months were highest for female inmates (212 per 1,000), more than four times higher than male rates (43 per 1,000). Abusive sexual conduct was more likely between inmates and between staff and inmates than nonconsensual sexual acts. Sexual violence inside prison is an urgent public health issue needing targeted interventions to prevent and ameliorate its health and social consequences, which spatially concentrate in poor inner-city areas where these individuals ultimately return.

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Title: Sexual Violence Inside Prisons: Rates of Victimization
Authors: Nancy Wolff
Cynthia L. Blitz
Jing Shi
Ronet Bachman
Jane A. Siegel
Publication date: 01-09-2006
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Urban Health / Issue 5/2006
Print ISSN: 1099-3460
Electronic ISSN: 1468-2869
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-006-9065-2

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Sexual Violence Inside Prisons: Rates of Victimization

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