Get the Facts

From Responding to Sexual Violence: A Guide for Professionals in the Commonwealth, KASAP, 2008.

Prevalence

In the United States, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an "attempted or completed rape" as a child and/or adult (using a definition of rape that includes forced vaginal, oral, and anal sex).¹
In Kentucky, 1 in 9 adult women has been "forcibly raped" at sometime in her life, which totals more than 175,000 women.² This estimate does not include alcohol or drug-facilitated rape, attempted rape, 'statutory rape' (i.e., sex with someone under age 16 without explicit force), or other forms of sexual violence.
Most offenders are male. Nearly all female victims (99.6%) and most male victims (85.2%) are raped by a man or men.¹

65% of sexual assault victims knew the offender, either as a 'friend,' acquaintance, intimate partner, or relative.³
Nearly 8% of women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.⁴
88% of offenders are the same race as the victim.⁷ Offenders rarely cross racial lines.
Most rape victims are under 18 when first assaulted (54% of female and nearly 71% of males).¹
People with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and those who are elderly are also frequently targeted.
Many offenders target people who are impaired by alcohol or drugs (20% of female victims and 38% of male victims). In most caes, about 66%, the perpetrator was also using a substance.¹

Nearly 85% of female victims are raped in a private setting where no help is available.¹
Nearly 6 out of 10 rapes occur in the victim's home or at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative.⁷
Approximately 40% are physically assaulted and/or fear that they or someone close will be killed or seriously harmed.¹
Offenders have and/or use traditional weapons, such as guns and knives, in 7% of all rapes and other sexual assaults.³

Most sexual violence is not reported to police. Approximately 70% of sexual assaults are never reported to the police.⁵
Most victims do no tseek medical treatment for their injuries. Only about 30% of sexual assault survivors are treated for injuries.⁵

Rape is the costliest of crimes to its victims. Overall, victim costs are estimated at $127 billion per year. Taking into account short-term medical care, mental health services, lost productivity, and pain & suffering, the cost per sexual assault is estimated at $110,000.⁶
Societal costs include business losses through absenteeism and third-party liability; criminal justice responses, such as investigation, prosecution, incarceration, and registration; and non-monetary losses, such as fear and corresponding loss of quality of life.⁶

Survivors are at greater risk for mental health problems than those who have never been sexually assaulted.

Long-term physical impacts are frequently related to sexual violence such as sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy/child-birth, eating disorders, sleep disorders, and use of alcohol and/or other drugs.

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