Sexual Assault
Sexual assualt / rape is any unwanted sexual contact of attenion achieved by force. The force can take the form of threats, bribes, manipulation, tricks or violence. It can be verbal, visual, audio, vaginal, anal, oral or any other form which forces an individual to participate in unwanted sexual contact or attention. Sexual assault includes rape and attempted rape in the forms of date and acquaintance rape, marital rape, and straper rape.
It also includes child molestation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, incest, and sexual harrassment.
Anyone can become a victim of sexual assault, regardless of age, race or income. Rape has nothing to do with attractiveness, appearance, or behavior. Rape and sexual assault are about power, control, and anger and are crimes of violence. These crimes are not motivated by sexual desire. Rapist use sexual violence as a weapon to control humiliate and hurt their victims.
Statistics
- In the U.S. 1.3 women are raped every minute that is 78 rapes per hour.
- 1 out of 3 women will be assaulted in her lifetime.
- 1 in 4 college women have either been raped or suffered attempted rape.
- 78% of rape victims know the attacker
- Rape has a devasting impact on the mental health of victims
- 31% of all victims develop rape related post traumatic disorder
- Only 16% of rapes are reported to the police. In a survey of victims
who did not roport rape or attempted rape to the police,
- these victims reported 43% thought nothing could be done.
- 27% felt it was a private matter
- 12% were afraid of the police response
- 12% it was not important enough