Rape rate spikes after experts cite #MeToo movement for increased reporting, other violent crime rates drop
Almost every crime in the United States has decreased, except for rape offenses, according to the data released by the FBI.
According to the report by the federal agency's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, while nearly every category of violent crime has reduced considerably between 2017 and 2018, rape offenses have spiked by 2.7 per cent. The data was collected through nearly 16,000 law enforcement agencies across the country out of the 18,586 agencies who are eligible to participate.
The report estimated that approximately 1.2 million violent crimes were committed in 2018, which puts the rate at approximately 369 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. It has fallen by 3.9 per cent said the report. Violent crime offenses peaked in 2016, according to the FBI data and have since then consistently decreased. The report also stated that robbery offenses fell by 12 per cent, while murder diminished by 6.2 per cent and aggravated assault by 0.4 per cent.
The category is divided into data collected for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as well as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The arrest rate in this category differed -- arrests made in murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses was 3.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, while for rape it was 7.7 per 100,000 residents.
According to a previous report by the agency in September 2018, the arrest rate for rape was 7.2 per 100,000 residents. This is the sixth year that rape offenses have increased consistently.
The report did not provide a theory as to why the rate of offenses had increased but experts in the field say it may be because of movements like #MeToo, which have made the usually underreported crime, more likely to be talked about and reported. Speaking to the Marshall Project, National Sexual Violence Resource Center spokesperson Kristen Houser said that it is possible that " the ability to recognize experiences for the crimes that they are and be able to name them" may have increased and "that's a result of more people talking about it, reporting on it, reading it, etc."