Section topics: What is Rape?, Rape Myths, Statistics
By the Numbers…
- An estimated 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience a sexual assault within their lifetime. (Rennison, C., U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2000)
- 38.5% of rapes are reported to the police. ( U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2003)
- 86% of adolescent sexual assaults went unreported. (Youth Victimization, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2003)
- Of female Americans who are raped, 54% experience their first rape before the age of 18. (Tjaden, P. and Thoennes, N., U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1998)
- In response to a recent survey of women with physical disabilities, 66% reported sexual abuse. (Wayne State University, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2004)
- In a study of over 3,000 women, researchers found that once a woman is raped she is seven times more likely to be raped again than a woman who was never raped. (Acierno, R., et. al., 1999)
- Nearly 7 in 10 rape and sexual assault victims knew their attacker prior to their assault. (Rennison, C., U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2000)
- In 2001, Pennsylvania police reported that on average nine rapes were reported each day or one rape every 2 hours and 47 minutes. Law enforcement officials recognize rape as one of the most under-reported crimes.
- Persons under 18 years of age account for 67% of all sexual assault victimizations reported to law enforcement agencies. (Snyder, 2000)
- Victims of rape are 13.4 times more likely to develop 2 or more alcohol-related problems, and 26 times more likely to have 2 or more serious drug abuse-related problems. (Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2003)
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects an estimated 1/3 of all rape victims, often for an extended period of time. One-third who are raped contemplate suicide and 17% attempt suicide. (National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2004)
- 68% of women with childhood history of incest reported incidents of rape or attempted rape after age 14 compared to 38% of a random sample. (Russell, 1986)
- Victims of father-daughter incest are four times more likely than non-incest victims to be asked to pose for pornography. (Russell, 1986)
- The cost of all victims of crime is estimated at $450 billion per year. Rape is the most costly to its victims, totaling $127 billion annually. (Miller, et al., 1996)
- The U.S. Department of Justice documents more than 111,000 cases of male rape each year. (Tjaden, P and Thoennes, N., 1998)
- In the fiscal year 2003-04, Pennsylvania rape crisis centers served 38,089 persons: 10,520 were children, 13,527 were adults and 14,042 were significant others of victims. Of the child victims, 57.7% were 12-17 year olds.
- In 2003, 3,318 forcible rape offenses were reported to Pennsylvania police departments. This represents an average of nine rapes every day or one every two hours and 38 minutes.
- In 2003, there were 4,598 substantiated reports of sexual violence injuries to Pennsylvania children, representing 693 minivans full of children.
On Campus…
- Acquaintance rape is more common than left-handedness, heart attacks or alcoholism. ( I Never Called it Rape by Robin Warshaw)
- 83% of girls and 79% of boys report that they have been sexually harassed during their school lives. (American Assoc. of University Women Education Foundation, 2001)
- According to a national survey of college women, less than 5% of completed and attempted rapes were reported to the police. (Fisher, Cullen and Turner, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2000)
- 90% of rape victims attending colleges know their offenders. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000)
- Female freshman are at the highest risk for sexual or physical assault from the day they arrive on campus until Thanksgiving break. (Campus Outreach Services, 2003)
- 48.8% of college women who were victims of attacks that met this study’s definition of rape did not consider what happened to them rape.
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