this year, at least 262,800 women will be raped in america.
the typical child molester will sexually abuse up to 380 children in his or her lifetime.
in 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials - less than one in every three.
approximately 68% of rape victims know their assailant.
1 of every 4 rapes take place in a public area.
1 of every 4 people you encounter will be or has been raped.
68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
75% of female rape victims require medical care after the attack.
in 1995, local child protective service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse; of these, 75% were girls.
nearly 30% of child sex abuse victims were between the ages of 4 and 7.
at least 12.1 million american women have been victims of rape.
1 in 2 rape victims is under age 18; 1 in 6 is under age 12.
teens 16 to 19 were three and one-half times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
rape is the most frequently committed violent crime in the world.
myth: rape is sex.
fact: rape is an act of violence. it can be a life-threatening experience. while sexual attraction may be influential in some ways, power, control and anger are the primary motives. most rapists do have access to a sexual partner. their gratification comes from gaining power and control and discharging anger.
myth: victims incite rapists.
fact: research has found that the vast majority of rapes are planned. rape is the responsibility of the rapist alone.
myth: a victim should be discouraged from dwelling on the rape. the victim should "forget it."
fact: all victims should be offered the opportunity to talk about the assault with those personally close to them and also with knowledgeable professionals (counselors, law enforcement officials, etc). victims who are not allowed the opportunity to talk about sexual violation generally have a much more difficult time recovering from it.
myth: rapists are non-white. rapists are mean lower class men. rapists are "criminal types."
fact: a rapist can be anyone: doctor, policeman, clergyman, social worker or corporate president. a rapist can be male or female. a rapist can be rich or poor.
myth: rape victims are non-white. rape victims are young, lower class, weak women. rape victims are "sluts."
fact: women, men, and children of every age, race, physical type, social class, economic bracket and demeanor are raped.
myth: men can't be raped.
fact: there were approximately 20,000 sexual assaults of males ages 12 and over in the United States in 1991, and, in 1995, 32,130 men were victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. men are raped by both women and men.
myth: incest is rare.
fact: incest is common and happens in every community. an estimated 77% of reported sexual abusers are parents (57% of the total being natural parents), 16% are other relatives, and only 6% are non-related.
myth: sexual violence affects few people...no one i know has been raped.
fact: sexual violation is very common. most likely, someone close to you has been profoundly affected by sexual assault. however, not only are victims reluctant to discuss their assaults but many succeed in totally blocking the assault from conscious memory.
myth: women often make false reports of rape.
fact: according to f.b.i. crime statistics, less than 2 percent of the reported rape cases are found to be false. there are no more false reports of rape than there are of any other crime.
myth: you can tell a rapist by the way they look.
fact: rapists are not physically identifiable. they may appear friendly, normal, and non-threatening.
myth: all women fantasize about being raped.
fact: no woman fantasizes about really being raped. fantasies about aggressive sexuality (bondage, s&m) may be controlled and turned off if they should become threatening or upsetting. in a rape situation, the victim is unable to control the violence and stop it.
myth: rape in marriage isn't actually rape.
fact: many states now have laws against rape in marriage. most battered women have experienced some form of sexual abuse within their marriage. marriage does not give anyone the right to take by force their husband or wife.
myth: rape only happens to a certain type of person.
fact: anyone can be raped, and it is never, under any circumstances, the victim's fault. rapists act without considering their victim's physical appearance, dress, age, race, gender, or social status.
myth: sexual assault usually occurs between strangers.
fact: it is estimated that approximately 68% of rape victims know their attackers. the rapist may be a relative, friend, sexual partner, co-worker, date or other acquaintance.
myth: rape is a crime of passion.
fact: rape is an act of violence, not passion. it is an attempt to hurt and humiliate, using sex as a weapon.
myth: of male victims, only gay men get raped.
fact: the vast majority of male rape victims, as well as their rapists, are heterosexual. rapists are most often motivated by the desire to have power and control over another person, not by sexual attraction.
myth: any person could prevent rape if he or she really wanted to.
fact: in 1991, 14% of the rapes reported involved the use of a weapon. 74% involved physical force and/or threats of force. many rapes also involve the use of alcohol, recreational drugs or the "date rape drug," all of which may render a victim incapable of warding of an attacker.
myth: if a person doesn't fight back they weren't really assaulted.
fact: any sort of unwanted sexual advances, whether the victim resisted physically or not, are real and important and deserve recognition.
myth: gang rape is rare.
fact: in 43% of all reported cases, more than one assailant was involved.
myth: people who are drunk/stoned/fried are willing to engage in any kind of sexual activity.
fact: the fact that a person has been drinking or using drugs does not imply consent. alcohol and drugs can render a person incapable of consent.
myth: as long as children remember to stay away from strangers, they are in no danger of being assaulted.
fact: children are usually assaulted by acquaintances; a family member or other caretaking adult. children are usually coerced into sexual activity by their assailant, and are manipulated into silence by the assailant's threats and/or promises, as well as their own feelings of guilt.
