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STATISTICS ON SEXUAL ABUSE

 

Men, Women, and Children Are All Affected by Sexual Violence

  • 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted).4

  • About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.4

  • From 2009-2013, Child Protective Services agencies substantiated, or found strong evidence to indicate that, 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse.5

  • A majority of child victims are 12-17. Of victims under the age of 18:

34% of victims of sexual assault and rape are under age 12.6

66% of victims of sexual assault and rape are age 12-17.6

 

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem

 

  • One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.3

  • 82% of all victims under 18 are female.4

  • Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.2

The effects of child sexual abuse can be long-lasting and affect the victim's mental health. Victims are more likely than non-victims to experience the following mental health challenges:5 

  • About 4 times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse

  • About 4 times more likely to experience PTSD as adults

  • About 3 times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as adults

 

  • Out of the yearly 63,000 sexual abuse cases substatiated, or found strong evidence, by Child Protective Services (CPS),6 the perpetrator was most often the parent:1

80% of of perpetrators were a parent

6% were other relatives

5% were "other" (from siblings to strangers)

4% were unmarried partners of a parent

  • Out of the sexual abuse cases reported to CPS in 2013, 47,000 men and 5,000 women were the alleged perpetrators.6

  • In 88% of the sexual abuse claims that CPS substantiates or finds supporting evidence of, the perpetrator is male. In 9% of cases they are female, and 3% are unknown.6

 

Sexual violence on campus is pervasive.

  • 11.2% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).2

  • Among graduate and professional students, 8.8% of females and 2.2% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.2

  • Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.2

  • 4.2% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.2

Student or not, college-age adults are at high risk for sexual violence.

  • Male college-aged students (18-24) are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.1

Female college-aged students (18-24) are 20% less likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.1

 

 

  • About 1 in 6 college-aged female survivors received assistance from a victim services agency.2

  • 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.2

 

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence

 

  • Only 20% of female student victims, age 18-24, report to law enforcement.1

  • Only 32% of nonstudent females the same age do make a report.1

 

Sexual Violence May Occur at a Higher Rate at Certain Times of the Year

  • More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.4

  • Students are at an increased risk during the first few months of their first and second semesters in college.4

 

 

Campus Law Enforcement Has a Significant Role in Addressing and Responding to College Sexual Assault

  • 86% of sworn campus law enforcement officials have legal authority to make an arrest outside of the campus grounds.5

  • 86% of sworn campus law enforcement agencies have a staff member responsible for rape prevention programming.5

  • 70% of campus law enforcement agencies have memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with local law enforcement.5

  • 72% of campus law enforcement agencies have a staff member responsible for survivor response and assistance.5

  • Among 4-year academic institutions with 2,500 students or more, 75% employ armed officers, a 10% increase in the last decade.5

 

 

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence

 

 

 

Overview on the Issue of Sexual Abuse

  • Approximately one in five (19.3%) of women experience rape in their lifetimes

  • One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18

  • 43.9% of women will experience sexual violence (other than rape) during their lifetimes

  • 23.4% of men will experience sexual violence (other than rape) during their lifetimes

Health Costs

  • 81% of women and 35% of men report significant impacts such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Annually, rape costs the U.S. more than any other crime ($127 billion), followed by assault ($93 billion), murder ($71 billion), and drunk driving ($61 billion)

  • Health care is 16% higher for women who were sexually abused as children

  • Sexual assault is associated with an increased lifetime rate of attempted suicide. In women, a history of sexual trauma before age 16 years is a particularly strong correlate of attempted suicide.

  • Women who experience sexual assault report more somatic complaints, poorer perceptions of physical health, greater psychological distress, and increased use of medical services.

  • Men who reported experiencing early childhood sexual abuse had a two-fold increase in prevalence of HIV infection relative to men who reported no abuse.

Link: http://www.svfreenyc.org/media/factsheets/fsht_144.pdf

Furthermore, according to a 2010 Internet survey by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence:

  • 56% of rape crisis centers had been forced to reduce staff in the past year

  • 25% of rape crisis centers had a waiting list for crisis services

  • 66% of rape crisis centers had to reduce prevention education/public awareness efforts because of funding losses

  • 61% of rape crisis centers had three (3) or less staff

  • 60% of rape crisis centers indicated they need at least four (4) full-time staff to meet the current demand for sexual assault services in their community

Report link: http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/CostsConsequencesSV.pdf

Sexual assault statistics:

http://www.ncdsv.org/images/SexualAssaultStatistics.pdf

 

 

Rapes Under Reported:

 

http://www.aworc.org/bpfa/pub/sec_d/vaw00001.html

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/rape-study-report-america-us_n_4310765.html

 

 

 

Resources: 

 

National Sexual Violence Resource Center: http://www.nsvrc.org/about/national-sexual-violence-resource-center.

 

Statistics for Journalists About Sexual Violence in the U.S.: http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_factsheet_media-packet_statistics-about-sexual-violence_0.pdf.

 

Key Metrics From Attached Fact Sheet PDF:

 

Sexual Violence in the U.S.:

 

  • One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives. 

  • 46.4% lesbians, 74.9% bisexual women and 43.3% heterosexual women reported sexual violence other than rape during their lifetimes, while 40.2% gay men, 47.4% bisexual men and 20.8% heterosexual men reported sexual violence other than rape during their lifetimes.

  • Nearly one in 10 women has been raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime, including completed forced penetration, attempted forced penetration or alcohol/drug-facilitated completed penetration. Approximately one in 45 men has been made to penetrate an intimate partner during his lifetime. 

  • 91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9% are male.

  • In eight out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the person who sexually assaulted them.

  • 8% of rapes occur while the victim is at work.

 

Cost and Impact:

 

  • Each rape costs approximately $151,423.

  • Annually, rape costs the U.S. more than any other crime ($127 billion), followed by assault ($93 billion), murder ($71 billion), and drunk driving ($61 billion).

  • 81% of women and 35% of men report significant short-term or long-term impacts such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

  • Health care is 16% higher for women who were sexually abused as children.

 

Child Sexual Abuse:

 

  • One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old.

  • 34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members.

  • 12.3% of women were age 10 or younger at the time of their first rape/victimization, and 30% of women were between the ages of 11 and 17.

  • 27.8% of men were age 10 or younger at the time of their first rape/victimization.

  • More than one-third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult.

  • 96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults.

  • 325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation each year.

  • The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old, and the average age for boys is 11 to 13 years old.

 

Campus Sexual Assault:

  •  

  • One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

  • More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault.

  • 63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes.

 

Crime Reports: 

 

  • Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police.

  • Only 12% of child sexual abuse is reported to the authorities.

  • The prevalence of false reporting is 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 (k). A study of 136 sexual assault cases in Boston found a 5.9% rate of false reports. Researchers studied 812 reports of sexual assault from 2000-03 and found a 2.1% rate of false reports.

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Statistics From RAINN: Rape Abuse and Incent National Network: See https://rainn.org/statistics.

 

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"National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey"; 2010 data published by the U.S. Center for Disease and Prevention (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/index.html.

 

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"Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted", New York Times, December 14, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/health/nearly-1-in-5-women-in-us-survey-report-sexual-assault.html?_r=0.

 

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Sexual Violence Reports Published by the World Health Organization (WHO): http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/violence/sexual_violence/en/.

 

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"A Comparison of Sexual Assault in the U.S., Canada, and England"; Bridgewater State University, "Undergraduate Review": http://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=undergrad_rev.

 

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United Kingdom: "Crime Statistics, Focus on Violence Crime and Sexual Offenses": http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences--2013-14/index.html

 

 

 

Cost estimates are all over the board depending on what's included.

 

Hospital Treatment Costs:

 

In one July 2012 post in a website named, "Jezebel", they displayed what is purported to be a copy of an actual hospital treatment bill (medical treatment and rape kit samples) of $4,750. In this particular case, the insurance company paid most of the bill, but that isn't always going to be the case. Another case cited in the post claimed that cost was $6,000. 

 

Even though the victim herself didn't pay most of the bill, that one single $4,750 incident is a cost to the U.S. economy and society. 

 

Link: http://jezebel.com/5927962/treatment-for-rape-without-insurance-costs-more-than-some-good-used-cars.

 

U.S. White House Counsel:

 

In January 2014, the U.S. White House Counsel of Women and Girls released a conference report entitled, "Rape and Sexual Assault: a Renewed Call to Action". In the "Economic Costs" section of that report, they say, in part,

 

"Although the economic costs of rape and sexual assault are hard to quantify and the data is limited, the existing research indicates that the costs are great. Various research studies have examined the quantifiable cost per rape, accounting for such costs as medical and victim services, loss of productivity, and law enforcement resources. Researchers also generally agree that intangible costs, such as decreased quality of life, though difficult to monetize, are also a necessary part of the cost calculus for sexual assault. (Many researches, in fact, believe the intangible costs are especially high in cases of sexual assault, due to the serious physical and mental health consequences for survivors.) Each of the studies we examined used a somewhat different methodology, but all found the costs to be significant – ranging from $87,000 to $240,776 per rape.50".

 

There is also other useful information we can probably use in the White House Conference Report. Link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/sexual_assault_report_1-21-14.pdf.

 

New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault:

 

Another estimate reported by the New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault, states,

 

The Cost of Rape 

 

“The National Institute of Justice estimates that rape and other sexual assaults of adults cause an annual minimum loss of 127 billion dollars, or about $508 per U.S. resident. This includes tangible losses such as initial police response, medical care, mental health services, property damage or loss, and loss of productivity; and intangible losses, such as loss of quality of life, pain, and suffering. These costs do not include the costs of investigation, prosecution or incarceration of offenders. This figure makes sexual assault the costliest crime; even higher than murder.” US Department of Justice, Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look, 1996; Summary by Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault.

 

Report source link: http://www.svfreenyc.org/media/research/medical_cost_of_rape.pdf.

 

According to the U.S. Inflation Calculator online service, the $508 per resident cost in 2015 is now $767.40. The 1996 127 billion dollar price tag adjusted for inflation is is calculated at 192 billion dollars in 2015 dollars.

 

In a fact sheet (different document from the one above) from the New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault, among other research findings, they state,

 

Health and Mental Health

 

  • Sexual assault is associated with an increased lifetime rate of attempted suicide. In women, a history of sexual trauma before age 16 years is a particularly strong correlate of attempted suicide. 

  • Women who experience sexual assault report more somatic complaints, poorer perceptions of physical health, greater psychological distress, and increased use of medical services. 

  • Men who reported experiencing early childhood sexual abuse had a two-fold increase in prevalence of HIV infection relative to men who reported no abuse. 

 

Link: http://www.svfreenyc.org/media/factsheets/fsht_144.pdf

 

National Alliance to End Sexual Violence:

 

In a 2011 report, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence non-profit organization pointed out that rape crisis services are scarce and growing scarcer. Highlights (or more accurately stated, lowlights) were:

 

Rape Crisis Services are Scarce According to a 2010 Internet survey by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence of 644 rape crisis centers from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and two territories: 

 

  • 56% of rape crisis centers had been forced to reduce staff in the past year. 

  • 25% of rape crisis centers had a waiting list for crisis services. 

  • 66% of rape crisis centers had to reduce prevention education/public awareness efforts because of funding losses. 

  • 61% of rape crisis centers had three (3) or less staff. 

  • 60% of rape crisis centers indicated they need at least four (4) full-time staff to meet the current demand for sexual assault services in their community. 

  • 93% of rape crisis center employees were paid less than $40,000 a year.

 

This 2011 report also discussed aggregate and individual case costs based on earlier data.

 

Report link: http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/CostsConsequencesSV.pdf

 

 

http://statusofwomendata.org/.

 

The safety and violence stats are found at http://statusofwomendata.org/explore-the-data/violence-safety/#section-b.

 

 

 Approximately one in five (19.3%) of women experience rape in their lifetimes

 

·     One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18

 

·     43.9% of women will experience sexual violence (other than rape) during their lifetimes

 

·     23.4% of men will experience sexual violence (other than rape) during their lifetimes

 

 

  • Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.2

 

http://www.nhcadsv.org/uploads/Sexual%20Assault%20The%20Mental%20Health%20Impac%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

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