The 2000-2001 Statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program found 90,491 sexual assaults were reported to US law enforcement. This number is too high already, but it is much worse to consider that 80-90% of assaults and attempted assaults are never reported. The 1998 "Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey," by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one out of every six American women have been victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. A total of 17.7 million women have been victimized by these crimes.
"The Sexual Victimization of College Women," funded by the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (authors Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, published December 2000) calculated that over the course of a five-year college career, between one-fifth and one-quarter of college women would experience rape or attempted rape.
A 1992 study showed that almost four out of five rapes were committed by someone known to the victim. Only 22% of rape victims were raped by a stranger or someone they did not know well; 9% of victims were raped by husbands or ex-husbands; 11% by fathers or step-parents; 10% by other relatives; and 29% by non-relatives, such as friends or acquaintances. (Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center: Arlington, VA).
Studies show that the major motive for rape is power, not sex. Sex is used as a weapon to inflict pain, violence and humiliation. Most rapists appear to have normal personalities with an abnormal tendency to be aggressive and violent. Between 2/3 and 3/4 of sexual assaults are planned in advance.
No woman deserves to be raped, regardless of her appearance or behavior. Since rape is a crime of violence, rapists choose their victims without regard to physical appearance.
Although there are a large number of reported assaults in urban areas, rape happens in all communities no matter how small. Unfortunately, small communities are less likely to have the range of services available in urban areas.
FBI statistics show that most rapes involve an assailant and victim of the same race; only 3% involve black men and white women and 4% involve white men and black women. When reporting an assault, women of color may find it more difficult to be believed or taken seriously because of institutionalized gender and racial bias. Efforts are underway to root out institutional racism in the criminal justice system. However, men of color accused of rape are still more likely than other accused rapists to be found guilty and incarcerated for longer periods. They also receive more media publicity, especially if the victim is white.
FBI studies indicate that only 2% of all rape reports are false. This is the same rate of false reporting as for other crimes, such as burglary. Law enforcement is trained to discover false reports in their investigation. Rather than false reports being filed, it is more likely that an actual assault goes unreported. Estimates range from 3 to 10 sexual assaults committed for every one reported to law enforcement agencies (Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault Training Manual, 2002).
There are many responses to the trauma of sexual assault. Some may cry or express great distress, others may be calm and controlled. These reactions to rape trauma are all normal. Physical injuries are not part of every sexual assault. The threat of physical harm and the surprise of the attack can immobilize a person with fear. Sexual assault is sexual contact that is perpetrated against the victim's will--most of the damage is nonphysical.
Rapists select victims based on accessibility and vulnerability. Rape has nothing to do with the victim's character. Rumors that are spread around campus about victims are generally untrue and serve only to perpetuate the belief that women are "asking for it." These rumors take attention away from the criminal by blaming the victim.
Read more about the connections between Sexual Assault, Alcohol, and Other Drugs.
Men can be assaulted, too. Men are most likely to be assaulted by another man or group of men. Often, weapons or alcohol are involved. Even though being raped has nothing to do with the victim's sexuality, homophobic social attitudes, and increased fear of being disbelieved make it especially difficult for men to seek help after being violated.
