Epidemiological Study of Sexual Assault in Anchorage

It has long been known that sexual assaults occur at a higher rate in Anchorage and in Alaska than in the U.S. as a whole, but until now no methodical study of the problem had even been conducted. This project was aimed at providing a better understanding of the parameters of the rape and sexual assault problem in Anchorage, providing the first detailed look at: victim and suspect characteristics, time and location of assaults, relationship between victim and suspect, and other characteristics of sexual assaults in Anchorage. In some cases the data contradicted some of the more common assumptions regarding Anchorage’s rape problem.

Project staff designed two databases: (1) for the Anchorage Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) for extraction of information from victims of sexual assault from SART files; (2) for extraction of data from sexual assault cases reported to the Anchorage Police Department. The second database became the basis for the first epidemiological study of sexual assault in Anchorage, providing information which may help policymakers and police to plan effective prevention and law enforcement programs.