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Sexual Assault in the United States
- One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives (a)
- In the U.S., one in three women and one in six men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime (o)
- 51.1% of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance (a)
- 52.4% of male victims report being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger (a)
- Almost half (49.5%) of multiracial women and over 45% of American Indian/Alaska Native women were subjected to some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime (o)
- 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and nine percent are male (m)
- In eight out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the perpetrator (j)
- Eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work (c)
Cost & Impact of Sexual Assault
- The lifetime cost of rape per victim is $122,461 (n)
- Annually, rape costs the U.S. more than any other crime ($127 billion), followed by assault ($93 billion), murder ($71 billion), and drunk driving, including fatalities ($61 billion) (j)
- 81% of women and 35% of men report significant short- or long-term impacts such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (a)
- Health care is 16% higher for women who were sexually abused as children and 36% higher for women who were physically and sexually abused as children (k)
Child Sexual Abuse
- One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old (d)
- 30% of women were between the ages of 11 and 17 at the time of their first completed rape (a)
- 12.3% of women were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization (a)
- 27.8% of men were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization (a)
- More than one third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult (a)
- 96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults (l)
- 34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members of the child (l)
- It is estimated that 325,000 children per year are currently at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation (k)
- The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12-14 years old, and the average age at which boys first become victims of prostitution is 11-13 years old (k)
- Only 12% of child sexual abuse is ever reported to the authorities (f)
Campus Sexual Assault
- 20% – 25% of college women and 15% of college men are victims of forced sex during their time in college (b)
- A 2002 study revealed that 63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes (h)
- More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault (b)
- 27% of college women have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact (e)
- Nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment (p)
Crime Reports
- Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police (m)
- The prevalence of false reporting is low between 2% and 10%. For example, a study of eight U.S. communities, which included 2,059 cases of sexual assault, found a 7.1% rate of false reports (i). A study of 136 sexual assault cases in Boston found a 5.9% rate of false reports (h). Researchers studied 812 reports of sexual assault from 2000-2003 and found a 2.1% rate of false reports (g).
References
(a) Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S .G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., Stevens, M. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. Retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf
Read this carefully from the National Sexual Violence Center. All over the news Dr. Christine Blasely Ford’s nightmare attack from 1980’s is now coming to life. No longer will her voice be silenced and no longer will her attacker go free. Since the #MeToo era, dozens of survivors have come forward and shared their stories.
A story that was probably not reported, if did, then it wasn’t a story that was shared or talked a lot. As a fellow being, I say “No more.” No more living in fear, in silence, or shame. Why should you be ashamed? You didn’t do this. Your attacker did this to you. Why let them win and you suffer in silence?
Typically, most rapes are mostly committed by men and women are their targets. But let’s be clear: not all rapes are done by men. Women are capable of rape, too. Anyone is capable of just about anything. If you listen to rape survivors’ stories’ they’re very stomach churning. Regardless of where they take place, that person now lives in pure hell permanently. Listen to people’s stories including Dr. Ford’s as well as Alyssa Milano, Teri Hatcher and countless others.
Let your voice be heard. It’s your body. Protect it. There’s help available.
Start the conversation when it comes to sexual assault:
- Educate your children on sex including what consensual sex is and what rape is.
- When you talk to your children about sex, talk about the difference between consensual sex and rape. Download all information about sexual assault and start a long conversation with them.
- Remember to always ask the other partner if it’s OK to have sex.
- This is most important thing to instill in both men and women, ask if it’s OK to have sex first. If you don’t then it’s not consensual sex and it becomes rape.
- Committing this act has serious ramifications
- You should know that any of act has consequences and no one (I repeat!) no one is above the law.
- People who are raped suffered from mental illness, PTSD, suicide, living in shame, and isolate themselves from society.
- This affects them in ways you can’t imagine, but you as the attacker as well.
- No one is entitled to anyone’s body! No one is at your disposal.
I fully support all survivors of sexual assault including Alyssa Milano and Dr. Ford. Stand in solidarity with the survivors. Let your voice be heard. Don’t let your attackers win. We are stronger together! Stand up and take a stand! This is our body and no one elses!
SPREAD THE WORD! STOP THIS. NO MORE!
No Laughing Matter 