Knowledge is Power

(Data collected from Rainn.org in 2023)

Sexual Violence Affects Millions of Americans

EVERY 68 SECONDS, AN AMERICAN IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED

·         On average, there are 463,634 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.

Younger People Are at the Highest Risk of Sexual Violence

·         Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault.

·         Those age 65 and older are 92% less likely than 12-24-year-olds to be a victim of rape or sexual assault and 83% less likely than 25-49-year-olds.

Women and Girls Experience Sexual Violence at High Rates

Millions of women in the United States have experienced rape.

·         As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million American women had been victims of attempted or completed rape.

Young women are especially at risk.

·         82% of all juvenile victims are female. 90% of adult rape victims are female.

·         Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

·         Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely to.

Men and Boys Are Also Affected by Sexual Violence

Millions of men in the United States have been victims of rape.

·         As of 1998, 2.78 million men in the U.S. had been victims of attempted or completed rape.

·         About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

·         1 out of every 10 rape victims are male.

Transgender Students Are at Higher Risk for Sexual Violence

21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females and 4% of non-TGQN males.

Sexual Violence Can Have Long-Term Effects on Victims

The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

·         94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.

·         30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.

·         33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide.

·         13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.

·         Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.

People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.

·         3.4 times more likely to use marijuana

·         6 times more likely to use cocaine

·         10 times more likely to use other major drugs

Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and coworkers.

·         38% of victims of sexual violence experience work or school problems, which can include significant problems with a boss, coworker, or peer.

·         37% experience family/friend problems, including getting into arguments more frequently than before, not feeling able to trust their family/friends, or not feeling as close to them as before the crime.

·         84% of survivors who were victimized by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress or increased problems at work or school.

·         79% of survivors who were victimized by a family member, close friend, or acquaintance experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress or increased problems at work or school.

·         67% of survivors who were victimized by a stranger experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress or increased problems at work or school.

Victims are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

·         Studies suggest that the chance of getting pregnant from one-time, unprotected intercourse is between 3.1-5%, depending on a multitude of factors, including the time of month intercourse occurs, whether contraceptives are used, and the age of the female. The average number of rapes and sexual assaults against females of childbearing age is approximately 250,000. Thus, the number of children conceived from rape each year in the United States might range from 7,750—12,500. 

This is a very general estimate, and the actual number may differ. This statistic presents information from a number of different studies. Further, this information may not take into account factors which increase or decrease the likelihood of pregnancy, including, but not limited to, the impact of birth control or condom use at the time of attack or infertility. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only and strongly recommends using the citations to review sources for more information and detail.

Native Americans Are at the Greatest Risk of Sexual Violence

·         On average, American Indians ages 12 and older experience 5,900 sexual assaults per year.

o    American Indians are twice as likely to experience a rape/sexual assault compared to all races.

o    41% of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger, 34% by an acquaintance, and 25% by an intimate or family member

Sexual Violence Affects Thousands of Prisoners Across the Country

An estimated 80,600 inmates each year experience sexual violence while in prison or jail.

·         60% of all sexual violence against inmates is perpetrated by jail or prison staff.

·         More than 50% of the sexual contact between inmates and staff members—all of which is illegal—is nonconsensual.

Sexual Violence in the Military Often Goes Unreported

6,053 military members reported experiencing sexual assault during military service in F.Y. 2018. DoD estimates about 20,500 service members experienced sexual assault that year.

·         DoD estimates that 6.2% of active duty women and 0.7% of active duty men experienced sexual assault in F.Y. 2018.