FBI Criminal Justice Advisory Board votes to update UCR definition of rape

The FBI Criminal Justice Advisory Board voted unanimously yesterday afternoon to update the current Uniform Crime Report’s definition of rape. MCASA, along with nearly 100 other advocacy organizations from across the country, have been advocating for this change for more than a decade. The last time the definition was updated was in 1929. MCASA believes the current definition is narrow, outmoded and steeped in gender-based stereotypes. We need your help today to encourage FBI Director Robert Mueller to give his final approval to update the measure. Please copy and paste the e-mail below and send it to the FBI at [email protected] asking for his support. Subject:  Uniform Crime Report’s Definition of Rape Dear Director Mueller, I congratulate the FBI Criminal Justice Advisory Board which voted unanimously yesterday afternoon to update the current Uniform Crime Report’s definition of rape, and I encourage you to approve the new definition immediately. The current definition is narrow, outmoded and steeped in gender-based stereotypes. The result being that incidences of rape in the United States are critically understated, efforts to hold offenders accountable are hampered, and sexual assault survivors are less likely to report their assaults. The last time the definition was updated was in 1929. It’s certainly time for the FBI to modernize the definition to reflect the reality of rape today in our nation.  Sincerely, Your name