#IASK Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence –
is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights.


 

THE ISSUES







Sexual Assault and Violence Affects Millions of Women and Girls Globally



  • Every 92 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, regardless of gender.1 As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.2

  • Approximately 35% of all women globally have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives.3 The majority of sexual assault survivors are under the age of 30.

  • 1 in 3 (35%) of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. 4


Transgender Students Are at Higher Risk for Sexual Violence



  • 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.5


Men and Boys are Also Affected by Sexual Violence



  • About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.2


Sexual Violence Affects Thousands of Prisoners Across the U.S.



  • An estimated 80,600 inmates each year experience sexual violence while in prison or jail.6


Sexual Violence in the Military Often Goes Unreported



  • 14,900 U.S. military members experienced unwanted sexual contact in the fiscal year ending September, 2016.7

  • Sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war across many countries.


Child Marriage and Trafficking



  • Globally, girls who marry before 15 are 50% more likely to face physical or sexual violence from a partner. 8

  • In Bangladesh, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, around half of married girls are 15-19 have faced violence by their husbands or partners.9

  • The vast majority of human trafficking victims experience multiple forms of abuse, such as domestic violence and sexual assault.


 



 

THE IMPACT







  • The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

  • People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.

  • Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers.

  • Survivors are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.


 

THE SOLUTIONS






Just to name a few:



 

For more information regarding Sexual Assault Awareness Month and S.A. prevention resources visit: www.nsvrc.org/saam 

 

  1. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2013-2017 (2018).

  2. National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey (1998).

  3. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997).

  4. World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, South African Medical Research Council (2013).

  5. David Cantor, Bonnie Fisher, Susan Chibnall, Reanna Townsend, et. al. Association of American Universities (AAU), Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (September 21, 2015).

  6. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011-2012 (2013).

  7. Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, (2017).

  8. Rachel Kidman, Using global data to examine child marriage, IPV and legal protection, Stony Brook Medicine, Program in Public Health, 2017

  9. UNICEF, Hidden in Plain Sight: A Statistical Analysis of Violence against Children, 2014

Related Experts

Presenter

Christopher P. Krebs

Expertise

Criminology and criminal justice

Intimate partner violence and sexual violence

Substance use

Presenter

Wendee Wechsberg

Expertise

Substance abuse treatment

Gender issues and HIV risk

Community-based research

International HIV intervention adaptations

Presenter

Tasseli McKay

Expertise

Family relationships during incarceration and reentry from prison

Intimate partner violence among marginalized populations

Health coverage and access to care for justice-involved persons