Sexual Assault
WARNING!
If you are or have been a victim of sexual assault, contact your local
authorities NOW and ask for assistance.
DIAL 911
Sexual Assault in America
Prepared by the
American Medical Association
November 6, 1995
"Sexual assault is one of the
most serious and fastest growing violent crimes in America. The
National Victim Center reports that over 700,000 women are
raped or sexually assaulted annually. Of these, 61% are under the age of 18. Less is known
about the frequency of rapes perpetrated against men. The
American
Academy of Pediatrics estimates that about 5% of sexual assaults are perpetrated
against male victims. Because many of these attacks occurring daily go unreported and
unrecognized, sexual assault can be considered a silent-violent epidemic in the United
States today."
- In the United States,
1.3 women are raped every minute. That results in 78 rapes each hour, 1872 rapes each day,
56,160 rapes each month, and 683,280 rapes each year.
- 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.
- 1 out of every 3 American women will be sexually
assaulted in her lifetime.
- 1 in 7 women will be raped by her husband.
- 61% of all rape cases are victims less than 18
years old. 22% are between the ages of 18 and 24.
- 78% of rape victims know the attacker.
- In a survey of college women, 38% reported
sexual victimization which met the legal definition of a rape or attempted rape, yet only
1 out of every 25 reported their assault to the police.
- 1 in 4 college women have either been raped or
suffered attempted rape.
- In a study of college students, 35% of men
indicated some likelihood that they would commit a violent rape of a woman who had fended
off an advance if they were assured of getting away with it.
- 1 in 12 male students surveyed had committed
acts that met the legal definition of rape. Furthermore, 84% of the men who had committed
such acts said what they had done was definitely not rape.
- 75% of male students and 55% of female students
involved in acquaintance rape had been drinking or using drugs.
- Rape has a devastating impact on the mental
health of victims. 31% of all victims develop Rape-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(RR-PTSD) sometime in their lifetimes. Based on U.S. Census reports on the number of women
in the United States, 1.3 million women currently have RR-PTSD and roughly 211,000 women
will develop RR-PTSD each year.
- When compared with non-victims, rape victims
have been found to be 8.7 times more likely to attempt suicide.
- Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to the
police. In a survey of victims who did not report rape or attempted rape to the police,
the following was found as to why no report was made: 43% thought nothing could be done,
27% felt it was a private matter, 12% were afraid of police response, and 12% felt it was
not important enough.
Myths and Facts About Sexual
Violence
Prepared by the National Coalition
Against Sexual Assault
Myth: "It can't happen to
me." Rape is an isolated, infrequent event that only happens to certain kinds of
people: attractive, young women, women who are promiscuous or provocative.
Fact: Anyone can be sexually assaulted. Studies show that "victims" include
infants to people in their nineties, people of color, lesbians/gays, people with
disabilities, and people from very racial, ethnic, religious, economic and social
background. According to a study published by the National Victim Center and the Center
for Crime Victims Treatment and Research (1992), approximately 683,000 American women were
forcibly raped in 1990. Averaged over time, this comes to 1.3 rapes each minute; 78 each
hour; 1,871 each day; 56,916 each month; and 683,000 each year. When the number of female
children and males assaulted during that same period are added, it is likely that well
over twice that many Americans were sexually assaulted.
Myth: "She asked for it."
Women often provoke rape by their own behavior: wearing low-cut or tight clothing, going
out alone, staying out late, being drunk, using drugs, kissing, etc.
Fact: No one asks to be sexually assaulted. Nor does anyone's behavior justify or excuse
the crime. People have a right to be safe from a sexual violation at any time, any place
and under any circumstances. The offender, not the survivor, must be held responsible for
this crime.
Myth: Most offenders are
African-American men.
Fact: Over 90% of sexual assaults occur between people of the same ethnic or racial
background. The myth of the black rapist is rooted to the racist history of our country.
Myth: Most sexual assaults are
committed by strangers at night in out-of-the-way places.
Fact: Familiar people and safe places are more dangerous. As many as 80% of sexual
assaults are committed by someone the survivor knows (FBI). Over 50% of sexual assaults
occur in the home and as many occur during the daytime as happen at night.
Myth: Women frequently "cry
rape".
Fact: Women don't lie about rape. The FBI reports that false accusations account for only
2% of all reported sexual assaults. This is no higher than false reports for any other
crime.
Myth: Only women can be raped.
Fact: It is currently estimated by the FBI that one out of ten men are victims of adult
sexual assault. Other researchers have found that between one of four and one out of seven
male children are sexually abused.
Myth: Date rape only happens between
people who just met or don't know each other well.
Fact: Rape (sexual intercourse against a person's will through the use of threat or force)
has nothing to do with how well the person knows the assailant. It's not uncommon for a
person to be raped by someone she or he has been dating for a long time, or by a former
lover, or by a spouse.
Myth: The best way for survivors to
get over a sexual assault is to act like it didn't happen, to put it behind them, get on
with their lives and be 'normal' again.
Fact: Speaking out about sexual assault might be an essential part of the recovery process
for survivors. However, no survivor should ever be forced to speak, publicly or privately,
before they are ready. Every survivor is the expert on their own recovery. For many,
recovery becomes an ongoing process of healing, change and empowerment. All survivors have
a right to the support and validation of friends, family, and service providers, no matter
where they are in their individual healing process or how long ago the assault occurred.
|
