[Elements for the study of rape].

OBJECTIVE

To describe some characteristics of rape in Mexico City.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive study of rape victims who attended a specialized institution between 1990 and 1996. A support psychotherapist applied a semistructured questionnaire on the victims characteristics, the aggressor and the circumstances of the rape.

RESULTS

A total of 531 victims were studied, 85.8% were females, almost half were minors and the median of scholarity was nine years. All aggressors were males, 62% were known to the victim, 86.7% were relatives or near to the family. Aggression occurred at the home of the victim or aggressor in 55.4% of the cases, 49.2% of the cases occurred in 4 of the 16 City districts.

CONCLUSIONS

In the studied population, women were the gender with greatest risk of being raped, except in the 5 to 14 year old group in which boys were in greater risk. Unemployed and underpaid men were the most frequent aggressors. There is a greater risk of being raped by a member of the family, couple or friend than by a stranger, and in the victim's or the aggressor's home more than anywhere else. Findings point to the necessity of establishing preventive programs and providing specialized attention to victims and aggressors.