Sexual Assault is an Epidemic

• Every 98 seconds, someone in the US is sexually assaulted.
• More than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 91% victims of rape and sexual assault are female; 9% are male.

Rape Reality Check

Women are more in danger of being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance than a stranger, yet law enforcement across the country often treat acquaintance rapes as lower priority.

• About half of all female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner.
• In 8 out of 10 rape cases, the victim knew the perpetrator.

The effects of rape often persist long after an assault occurred. Of women who experience rape:

• 30% report PTSD symptoms 9 months after the rape.
• 33% contemplate suicide.
• 13% attempt suicide.

Women of color, native women, LGBTQ, immigrants and women with disabilities face higher rates of gender-based violence than those who are not part of these groups.

• African American women experience intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females, and about 2.5 times the rate of women of other races.
• Over 84% of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime.
• 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35% of heterosexual women.
• Many refugee or immigrant women are especially vulnerable because of poverty, limited language proficiency, social isolation, and immigration status.
• Women with intellectual disabilities are 12 times more likely to experience rape and sexual assault compared to those without disabilities.

Though the #MeToo movement has raised awareness around the prevalence and impact of gender based violence, most rapes aren’t reported.

• 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
• Out of every 1000 rapes, only about  50 lead to an arrest or conviction.

Gender-based violence crosses the boundaries of gender, race, economic status, institutions, and geography. It impacts all of us, and that is why we must act together to stop it.

Rape on Campus

Colleges and universities across the country routinely fail to adequately address sexual assault in its ranks. In New York State alone, 30 schools have Title IX complaints filed against them.

• Nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment.
• More than 90% of campus sexual assault victims do not report.
• By 2015, 97% of institutions of higher education in a nationally representative study had developed Title IX policies, but only 61% reported implementing primary prevention programs.

Rape in the Military

Each year, thousands of servicewomen are sexually assaulted by fellow officers. Service members identifying as LGBT are statistically more likely to experience sexual harassment than members who do not identify as LGBT.

• 14,900 military members experienced unwanted sexual contact in the fiscal year ending September, 2016. Of these survivors, 43% of females and 17% of male reported.
• 1 in 3 convicted military sex offenders remain in the military.
• 27.5% of LGBTQ women and 19.9% of LGBTQ men indicated experiencing sexual harassment in 2016, compared to 18.3% and 4.3% who do not identify as LGBT, respectively.

Rape at Work

In a typical week in the U.S., the average worker spends approximately 55 hours (33% of their time) on work-related activities (NSVRC). There’s no room for rape or any type of gender based violence in the workplace.

• 8% percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work.
• In 80% of rape and sexual assault cases that take place at work, women are the victims.
• 19% of adult female rape survivors and over 9% of male rape survivors reported that their assault had caused them to lose time from work.
• Immigrant women, especially those who are undocumented, are especially at risk for being sexually assaulted at work. Fear of having their status revealed contributes to a lack of agency and fear of reporting the crime or reaching out for help. The investigative piece, Rape on the Night Shift, highlights this.

Rape in Prison

The US pledged to end rape in prisons in 2003 through the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The Bureau of Justice estimates that 200,000 people are sexually abused behind bars in a single year. Incarcerated youth are at an especially high risk.Though PREA calls for a zero-tolerance policy for rape in all prisons, jails and correctional facilities, the problem persists.

• 60% of sexual violence against inmates is perpetrated by staff: the very people whose job it is to keep them safe.
• Only 10% of allegations made by inmates were followed by an investigation, and only 1% of prison staff found guilty of engaging in sexual misconduct were subjected to criminal conviction.
• Nearly 1 in 8 youth in a juvenile detention facility were victimized: in 80% of cases, a staff member was the perpetrator.
• Of the 1,224 complaints filed between 2010-2017 about incidents that took place in ICE custody, 43 were investigated.

Male Survivors

Rape and sexual assault affects men, too.

• Nearly 1 in 66 men have experienced a completed or attempted rape at some point in their lives.
• 93% of male survivors reported being raped by men.
• Only 15% of men report sexual assault to the police.
• 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 29% of heterosexual men.

Youth

Children and adolescents are at risk for sexual assault and abuse:

• Over 57,300 children were sexually abused in 2016.
• Almost 10% of high school students in a relationship experienced physical dating violence, and just over 10% experienced sexual violence.
• More than one third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult.