Sexual Assault Awareness Month

by capper

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

This is rather timely, considering that we have seen in the newspaper, as well as in the cheddarsphere.

Here are some not-so-fun facts from the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) :

1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

College-aged women are 4 times more likely to be a victim of sexual assault.

Every 2 minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.

60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.

Furthermore, the National Resource Center for Youth Violence Prevention gives the following information:

Sexual assault involves sexual acts that are forced upon individuals against their will. These acts can be physical (such as rape or unwanted sexual touching), verbal (such as sexually abusive or threatening speech), or psychological (such as voyeurism or exhibitionism). Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault. However, women and girls are more likely than males to experience violence of this type. Sexual assault is most often committed by someone known to the victim such as a spouse, family member, co-worker, friend or acquaintance, although it can also be committed by a stranger.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a national survey of high school students, approximately 9% of students reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse against their will in their lifetime. Female students (11.9%) were more likely than male students (6.1%) to report having been sexually assaulted.

Sexual violence can start very early in life. More than half of all rapes (54%) of women occur before age 18; 22% of these rapes occur before age 12.

The National College Women Sexual Victimization Study estimated that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 college women experienced completed or attempted rape during their college years.

It only gets worse. People who are developmentally disabled are much more likely to be sexually assaulted. Almost four out of every five people with developmental disabilities are sexually victimized. Nearly half of the people with developmental disabilities are victimized at least ten times in their lives.

For further information, please go to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). I'd advise Dad29 to do a LOT of reading.