Sexual assault is an act of violence, power, and control
Sexual assault is often planned or carried out by intimate partners,
acquaintances, family members, or strangers.
Sexual assault is motivated primarily out of anger and/or a need to feel
powerful by controlling, dominating, or humiliating the victim.
Survivors are not responsible for causing their assaults; only offenders
are to be blamed for sexual assault and rape.
Sexual assault had nothing to do with who you are or what you look like.
National
In the United States, a rape is reported about once every five minutes.
About 44% of rape victims are under the age of 18;
about 15% are under the age of 12.
One in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed
rape.
About 10% of sexual assault victims are men.
About two out of three sexual assaults are committed by someone who is
known to the victim.
Less than 39% of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement!
The United States has the highest rate of sexual assault per capita of any
industrialized country in the world.
Statistics about sexual assault
1 of 6 U.S. women and 1 of 33 U.S. men has experienced an attempted or
completed rape as a child and/or an adult. Specifically, 18 percent of surveyed
women and 3 percent of surveyed men said they experienced a completed or
attempted rape at some time in their life. (National Violence Against Women
Survey, "Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women,"
November 1998)
84% of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim.
(National Women's Study, "Rape in America: A Report to the Nation," 1992)
One rape/attempted rape occurs every 1.6 minutes. (National Crime Victims
Survey, "Criminal Victimization," 1994)
The United States has the world's highest rape rate of the countries that
publish such statistics - 4 times higher than Germany, 13 times higher than
England, and 20 times higher than Japan. (NWS, "Rape in America: A Report to the
Nation," 1992)
Rape is the fastest growing violent crime in The United States. (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, 1994)
Rape remains the most underreported violent crime in the United States.
(Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center of the National Victims Center,
1992)
Women who are raped by men they know are less likely to report the crime to
the police than women who are raped by strangers. (Bachman, 1994)
1 out of 3 high school relationships includes battering or rape. (Creighton,
A., 1990. Helping Teens Stop Violence)
Sexual assault myths
Myth - Rape is a sexual crime False - Sexual assault is a violent assault
acted out in a sexual way.
Myth - The victims "ask for it" by their dress. False - No one "asks' to be assaulted. In
addition, when most attackers decide to assault someone, how they are dressed is
of little consequence.
Myth - Sex crimes are crimes of passion or desire. False - Sex crime is a crime of violence,
anger and power not passion.
Myth - Sexual offenders commit these crimes because they never have
sex. False - Many sex offenders are married and
engage in normal sexual relations with their partners. The reason they sexually
assault their victims is because they get gratification from intimidating,
humiliating and degrading their victims.
Myth - It's easy to spot a sex offender. They are creepy and have
shifty eyes. False - Sex offenders come from all walks of
life and ethnic backgrounds, sex, and age. Do not let your guard down on first
impressions.
Myth - Women claim rape to get even with men. False - Although it may happen on rare
occasions, false rape charges are the least reported crimes, nationwide.
Myth - The victims secretly want to be raped. False - Fear of ones life, or disfigurement
to oneself or a loved one can immobilize anyone. Always remember, the goal is to
survive the attack.
Source: New York City Detective Bureau
Protect Yourself
Be aware of your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable, leave.
Walk with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you
appear.
Don't let drugs or alcohol cloud your judgment.
Don't prop open self-locking doors.
Lock your home/car doors and windows, even if you leave for just a few
minutes. Always park in well-lit areas.
Watch your keys. Don't lend them. Don't lose them. And don't put your name
and address on the key ring.
Watch out for unwanted visitors. Know who's on the other side of the door
before you open it.
Be wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after
business hours, and apartment laundry rooms.
Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Vary your route.
Have your key ready to use before you reach the door, home, car or work.
Park in well-lit areas and lock the car. Always.
Keep your car in good shape with plenty of gas in the tank.
In case of car trouble, call for help on your cell phone. If you don't
have a phone, put the hood up, lock the doors, and put a banner in the rear
window that says, "Help. Call police."
