AN INQUIRY INTO VICTIMS OF RAPE AND SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH MINORS IN JAMAICA: 2001-2023
Keywords:
rape, carnal abuse, sexual abuse, sexual violenceAbstract
Sexual violence is more frequently reported by persons in accommodation and food services, low-level jobs that are in isolated areas, individuals lacking qualification and legal status, working in a male-dominated career, and experiencing power differences in employment with minimal likelihood of promotion. Using secondary data collected by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), this research quantitatively evaluates victims of rapes and sexual abuse of children under 16 years old in Jamaica from January 1, 2001 to November 20, 2,023. The study examines victims of rapes and sexual abuse of children less than 16 years from police division and time committed. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) provided the data for this study. The period for this work is from January 1, 2001, to November 20, 2023. The data was recorded, stored, and retrieved using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, Version 28.0, and Microsoft Excel. The significance level used to determine statistical significance was less than 5% (0.05) at the 2-tailed significance level. The data were analyzed using percentages, probability, annual percentage change, cross-tabulations, and analysis of variance. The statistics revealed that St. Andrew had the highest number of reported cases of rape and sexual abuse of those less than 16 years old, with St. Andrew South reporting 11.4% of the cases in the nation. In 2001, there were 28.26 rapes in were 100,000 populations of Jamaica and in 2022; the figure fell to 17.51 per 100,000 Jamaican populations. Since, 2010, the sexual abuse rates of those under 16 years in Jamaica have been greater than the rape rates. The sexual assault of women and children in Jamaica is more than a police oversight matter to a national public health problem that requires an urgent remedy.
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