Sexual Assault DescriptionSexual assault encompasses a wide range of behaviors, including rape or attempted rape, as well as other forms of unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact. Sexual assault can include:
Actual or threatened physical force, coercion, intimidation, or pressure
Being forced to watch porn against one’s will
Being touched against one’s will regardless of what body parts
Being prevented from using a condom or other protection during sex
Coercion can include:
Using threats (i.e., if you don’t do this, I’ll get you in trouble)
Intimidation (with looks, gestures, or body language)
Encouraging or forcing a person to drink or do drugs
Using a weapon
Underlying threat of violence (e.g., if there’s been violence in the past)
Not respecting someone saying “no” or “stop”
Non-consensual sexual contact can include:
Bring pressured, intimidated or forced to do sexual things against one’s will
Being incapacitated due to drugs or alcohol
Changing mind about engaging in sexual activity
Rape DescriptionRape, a specific type of sexual assault, involves any forced, manipulated, or coerced penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth, by a penis, finger or other object. Legal definitions of rape vary from state to state, but most states define rape as non-consensual sexual penetration. A rapist can be a stranger or someone the victim knows including a spouse, date, or family member. Anyone can be a victim of rape or sexual assault including men, women, and persons who are gender-non conforming or transgender.
Statistics and FactsRape and Sexual Assault Statistics Statistics describing the prevalence of rape and sexual assault vary due to differences in definitions and methods used from study to study.
Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3% of survey respondents) have been raped at some point in their lives. (CDC, 2010)
Nearly 1 in 71 men (1.4% of survey respondents) have been raped at some point in their lives. (CDC, 2010)
Data on sexual violence against men may be underreported.
This translates into 22 million women and 1.6 million men. (CDC, 2010)
Perpetrators of Rape and Sexual Assault
Most victims of rape reported being raped by someone they knew. (CDC, 2010)
1% of female victims of rape reported having been raped by an intimate partner. (CDC, 2010)
8% of female victims of rape reported having been raped by an acquaintance. (CDC, 2010)
More than half of male victims reported having been raped by an acquaintance. (CDC, 2010)
1% of male victims reported having been raped by a stranger. (CDC, 2010)
Prevalence of Rape and Sexual Assault
Nearly 80% of female victims of rape (79.6%) experienced their first rape before the age of 25. (CDC, 2010)
More than a quarter of male victims of rape (27.8%) experienced their first rape before the age of 10. (CDC, 2010)
Between 1995 and 2013, women between the ages of 18 and 24 had the highest rates of rape and sexual assault victimizations. (BJS, 2014)
Among this age group, the rate of rape and sexual assault victimization was 1.2 times higher for non-students (7.6 per 1,000) than for students (6.1 per 1,000). (BJS, 2014)
Rape and sexual assault go largely underreported. (NJC, 2014)
6% rape and sexual assault crimes were reported to law enforcement in 2014. (NJC, 2014)