EMPIRICAL AND THEORETICAL DIMENSIONS OF OBSCENE PHONE CALLS TO WOMEN IN THE UNITED-STATES

A survey of 354 women (apparently the first representative national sa mple) found that 16% had received at least one obscene phone call (OPC ) within the 6 months preceding the survey. The majority of calls appe ar to be targeted in some way. Women less than 65 years of age and tho se who were neither married nor widowed were more likely to receive an OPC. Five theoretical propositions were examined. Two were not suppor ted: namely, that OPCs are pure random incidents or are attacks on soc ioeconomically powerful women. Two others were reasonably well-support ed: that OPC receipt is explained by displaced aggression against a vu lnerable population or by perceived availability (a modification of cr iminal opportunity theory). There was also strong empirical support fo r the final proposition that sees OPCs occurring in a pattern statisti cally similar to that of rape.