Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Prev Med
• Personal Author:
  Peterson, Cora ; DeGue, Sarah ; Florence, Curtis ; Lokey, Colby N.
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  This study estimated the per-victim U.S. lifetime cost of rape.
  
  Methods
  
  Data from previous studies was combined with current administrative data and 2011 U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data in a mathematical model. Rape was defined as any lifetime completed or attempted forced penetration or alcohol- or drug-facilitated penetration, measured among adults not currently institutionalized. Costs included attributable impaired health, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs from the societal perspective. Average age at first rape was assumed to be 18 years. Future costs were discounted by 3%. The main outcome measures were the average per-victim (female and male) and total population discounted lifetime cost of rape. Secondary outcome measures were marginal outcome probabilities among victims (e.g., suicide attempt) and perpetrators (e.g., incarceration) and associated costs. Analysis was conducted in 2016.
  
  Results
  
  The estimated lifetime cost of rape was $122,461 per victim, or a population economic burden of nearly $3.1 trillion (2014 U.S. dollars) over victims’ lifetimes, based on data indicating >25 million U.S. adults have been raped. This estimate included $1.2 trillion (39% of total) in medical costs; $1.6 trillion (52%) in lost work productivity among victims and perpetrators; $234 billion (8%) in criminal justice activities; and $36 billion (1%) in other costs, including victim property loss or damage. Government sources pay an estimated $1 trillion (32%) of the lifetime economic burden.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Preventing sexual violence could avoid substantial costs for victims, perpetrators, healthcare payers, employers, and government payers. These findings can inform evaluations of interventions to reduce sexual violence.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Female Health Care Costs Humans Intimate Partner Violence Male Models, Theoretical Rape Surveys And Questionnaires United States
• Source:
  Am J Prev Med. 52(6):691-701
• Pubmed ID:
  28153649
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5438753
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  6
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:07d949654601017ca72d51951787ea135ca0a4d53062fef17a622f7a88fcc5db
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/45804/cdc_45804_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 139.39 KB ]