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Statistics About Rape
As is true of research in any area, the statistics vary. Totally indisputable facts are difficult to come by. Even if there were only one sexual assault a year, that is one too many.
Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted
In 1994 the US Department of Justice reported the following:
45% of rapists were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
29% of rapists used a weapon
47% of survivors sustained injuries
75% of which required medical care
81 % of survivors were white
18% of survivors were black
1% were another race
In Michigan, 40% of women have experienced some form of sexual violence, ranging from unwanted touching to forcible rape, since the age of 16. (Survey of Violence in the Lives of Michigan Women. Michigan Department of Community Health, Community Public Health Agency, 1996.)
The National Violence Against Women Survey found that 1 of 6 U.S. women and 1 of 33 U.S. men has experienced an attempted or completed rape as a child and/or an adult. (Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. November 1998.)
In 1999, only 28% of survivors reported the assault to police. (Criminal survivorization 2000: Changes 1999-2000 with Trends 1993-2000. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. June 2001.)
The rate of “false reports” or "crying rape" is ONLY 2% to 3%, which no different than that for other crimes. (Schafran, L. H. 1993. Writing and reading about rape: A Primer. St. John’s Law Review, 66, 979-1045.)
In 2002: 247,730 sexual assaults were reported in the United States, 87,000 of which were completed rapes.
-84% of survivors know their rapists (acquaintance rape)
-3% of college women experience a rape during the college year
-60% of rapes occurring on college campuses took place within the survivors dorm room
-10% took place in a fraternity
1 in 5 cases of rape result in injury to the survivor, including bruises, black eyes, cuts, swelling, or chipped teeth.
(Information from RAINN unless otherwise noted)
Facts & Myths About Rape
MYTH: “survivors of sexual assault ‘ask for it’ be dressing seductively, drinking too much alcohol, or getting high.”
FACT: No one asks or deserves to be raped.
MYTH: “Rapists are strangers who jump out of the bushes. No one I know would ever rape.”
FACT: We do know these people. Strangers are responsible for one in five rapes. Approximately 28% of survivors are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives.
MYTH: “Women cry rape to get revenge.”
FACT: The rate of “false reports” of rape and/or fabricated stories is 2-3%. Women are more likely to lie and say they have not been assaulted, out of shame or fear of further assaults.
MYTH: "Sexual assault cannot occur within a serious or long-term relationship."
FACT: Sexual assault can occur in long-term relationships and even in marriages. If the sex is unwanted by one partner, it is sexual assault. However, we have little understanding of this because we hold onto the "stranger rape" image. It has been found that women raped by their spouses are less likely to label the experience as rape than were survivors raped by other types of acquaintances or strangers.
MYTH: "Women don't fear being assaulted."
FACT: 81.9% of women questioned replied that their greatest fear was being sexually/physically assaulted and/or killed. The majority of women live in constant fear.
MYTH: "Assaults are always reported."
FACT: The FBI believes that only 10% of stranger rapes are reported, while national studies estimate that only 1% of acquaintance rapes are reported. It is important to ask "why don't survivors report?" and "what are we doing that discourages survivors from reporting?"
MYTH: "Women who stay in relationships that involve repeated abuse should just leave."
FACT: That is true, but it is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. Some women fear the response of the abuser. And this fear is legitimate. The most recent statistics tell us that the most dangerous time for women is when they try to leave.6 When women leave, they must utilize a safe, protected women's shelter. Additionally, many women depend on the abuser for financial support. If children are involved, the woman may fear that the abuser will hurt the children or try to take them away. It is not just walking away from the relationship. Many factors are involved.
(Information taken from Bacchus and Gamma pamphlet, "Healing the Harm, Sexual Assault on Campus, 2001)
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