SEXUAL ASSAULT STATISTICS

Sexual violence is any act (verbal and/or physical) which breaks a person's trust and/or safety and is sexual in nature. The term "sexual violence" includes rape, sexual assault, incest, child sexual abuset, ritual abuse, marital, partner or acquaintance sexual assault, sexual harassment, exhibititionism, some types of stalking and voyeurism.

Sexual assaults are acts of violence where sex is used as the weapon. Victims/survivors of sexual violence are forced, coerced, and/or manipulated to participate in unwanted sexual activity and feel violated. Assaults are motivated out of a need to feel powerful by controlling, dominating, or humiliating the victim.

National Statistics
as reported by RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network)

A National Shame

Recent statistics show that rape is still all too prevalent in America.

• Somewhere in America, a woman is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (2007).
• In 2007, 248,300 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 2008.]

Silent Victims

One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal matter and that they fear reprisal from the assailant.

• Only 60% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported law enforcement officials. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 2005.]
• Approximately 73% of rape victims knew their assailant. [Violent Victimization of Collge Students 2005]
• Approximately 28% of victims are raped by an intimate partner, 38% by a friend or acquaintance, and 7% by another relative. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005]

Living In Fear

According to the U.S. Department of Justice: [All statistics are taken from: National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2003]

• One of every twelve rapes take place in a public area or in a parking garage.
• 27% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.
• 43% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 12 a.m.
• 1 in 3 rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• In 11% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.
• In 33% of rapes, victims who present to the Emergency Room sustained injuries other than rape injuries.
• 41% of rape victims who present to the Emergency Room require medical care after the attack. 

Not Just a Family Matter

Family violence and abuse are among the most prevalent forms of interpersonal violence against women and young children - both boys and girls. The sexual abuse of a child should never be "just a family matter," but many children are afraid to report an incident to the police because the abuser is often a family friend or relative.

•  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 victims were between the ages of 4 and 7. [Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Maltreatment, 1995.]
• Approximately one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age. [Violence and the Family. Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996.]
• According to the Justice Department, 44% of rape victims are under age 18; 15% are under age 12.[U.S. Department of Justice National Victimization Survey 2004.]

 Face Of America

• 17.7 million American women have been the victims of rape. [U.S. Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey 2004.]
• About 81% of rape victims are white, 18% are black, 1% are of other races. [Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.]
• While 9 out of 10 rape victims are women, men and boys are also victimized by this crime. In 1995, 32,130 males age 12 and older were victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. [U.S. Department of Justice National Victimization Survey, 1996.]
• Girls ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistice, U.S. Department of Justice, 2004.]
• In 2003, 1 in every 10 rape victims were male. [U.S. Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003.]

Progress

• Besides the RAINN hotline (800-656-HOPE) there are other signs that we are making progress. The incidence of sexual assault has declined by more than 60% in recent years. [U.S. Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey, 2007.]
• More and more survivors are speaking out publicly, helping to lessen the stigma long associated with rape victims.
• Advocates, prosecutors, and survivors are working together in states across the country to change laws and statutes.

Wisconsin Statistics

• There were 5,628 sexual assaults reported to law enforcement agencies in 2004. This is an increase of 3.7 percent from 2003.
• Sexual Assault Summary :
  • Forcible fondling comprised of 48.0 percent of reported assaults
  • Forcible rape comprised of 20.2 percent of reported assaults
  • Statutory rape comprised of 18.4 percent of reported assaults
  • Forcible sodomy comprised of 10.5 percent of reported assaults
  • Sexual assaults with an object comprised of 2.5 percent of reported assaults
  • Ejaculation/excretion upon the victim made up less than 1 percent of reported sexual assaults
• In 2003 Wisconsin's rate of 21.9 forcible rapes per 100,000 inhaitants was the lowest among 11 other Midwestern states.
• Approcimately one forcible rape is reported every 7 hours, 42 minutes, 40 seconds.
• In 4.5 percent of all forcible rapes the victims had a physical injury.
• In cases where relation to the victim was reported 88.9 percent of victims knew their assailants while 6.5 percent wre strangers.
• 19.4 percent of the assailants were related to the victim.
• The victims were predominantly female (84.7 percent) and white (80.2 percent) in reported assaults.
• The perpetrators were male (93.4 percent) and white (70.2) percent for most reported sexual assaults.
• 70.1 percent of victims were under the age of 15.
• The scene of the assualt was the victim's residence 32.7 percent of the time.
• In about 2 percent of the reported cases, the victim reported the use of a firearm, knife, blunt object, and/or drug.
• 50 percent of those arrested were referred to criminal or juvenile court. 46.2 percent of oucomes were unknown at the time of reporting.

Source for Wisconsin Statistics: 2004 Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance Report on Sexual Assaults in Wisconsin.

National College Statistics

• In the US, each academic year, for every 5000 female students (the number at UWW), there are:
•     97 rapes by force or threat of force
•     80 attempted rapes by force or threat of force
•     121 rapes by coercion
•     146 sexual contacts with force or threat of force
•     149 sexual contacts by coercion
•     46.5% of those who experienced a completed rape defined it as rape
•     90% knew the offender
•     52% took place after midnight; 37% 6PM to midnight.
•     the majority both on and off campus assaults occurred in living quarters
•     more occurred off campus than on campus
•     <5% of completed and attempted rapes were reported to the police
•     2/3 told someone but rarely a college official
  (Source: "The Sexual Victimization of College Women";  National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics; December, 2000.)
  

UW-Whitewater Interpersonal Violence Survey Results (Kile, 2006)

In April of 2006, 428 UWW Students were surveyed anonymously in their classes.

• More respondents indicated that victimization occurred before rather than after they became UW-W students on most questions. The exceptions involved roommate situations.
  
• Men had higher rates on almost all types of violent aggression.
  
• Of the students who indicated they had experienced a behavior that is sexual assault by Wisconsin law, 59% indicated they had never been sexually assaulted.
  
• None reported to the police and <2% reported the assault to staff or faculty.
  
• More females than males reported being victims of sexual and intimate partner violence. Conversely more males reported being victims of other types of violence.
  
• The majority of students think UWW adequately educates about and keeps students safe from sexual violence.
  
• Most students know about the services UWW provides and think victims and alleged perpetrators are treated fairly.
  
• The majority of students learned about sexual violence through campus mailings, posters, brochures and bulletin boards.

Victimization Behaviors
Of the 9 behaviors on the survey that would constitute sexual assault

30% have experienced at least one behavior once in their lifetime

24% have experienced at least one behavior once before attending UWW

12% have experienced at least one behavior once while attending UWW

Female Male
42% 9% have experienced at least one behavior once in their lifetime

33% 7% have experienced at least one behavior once before attending UWW

17% 5% have experienced at least one behavior once while attending UWW

59% of those who had experienced at least one behavior in their lifetime indicated that they had never been sexually assaulted

66% of those who had experienced at least one behavior while attending UWW indicated that they had never been sexually assaulted

Female Male All
42% 9% 30% Have experienced any type of sexual assault

20% 3% 13% Think they have been sexually assaulted.

33% 6% 23% Sexual contact, not including intercourse, without their consent.

4% 4% 4% Someone used their position of authority (boss, teacher, camp counselor, supervisor, etc) to have sexual contact, not including intercourse, without their consent.

17% 2% 12% Sexual intercourse without their consent.

3% 2% 9% Sexual intercourse without consent, when under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

14% 3% 10% Someone threatened them or used some degree of physical force to have sexual contact or intercourse with them

9% 3% 6% Sexual contact or intercourse while they were unconscious or asleep.

0% 2% 1% Sexual contact or intercourse with the use of a weapon.

41% 21% 35% Have experienced any type of intimate partner violence

31% 15% 25% An intimate partner belittled or intimidated them, isolated them from friends, or blamed them for their problems.

16% 6% 12% Threatened with physical harm by an intimate partner.

21% 12% 18% Hit, slapped, kicked, shaken or thrown by an intimate partner.

16% 6% 12% Received injuries from an intimate partner.

5% 10% 7% Threatened with physical harm by a roommate.

11% 22% 9% 5% Hit, slapped, kicked, shaken or thrown by a roommate.

2% 14% Threatened with a knife or gun.

<1% 6% 3% Shot or stabbed.

11% 21% 13% Threatened online.

1% 3% 2% Threatened, physically harmed, or pressured into sex by someone when they met face to face after talking online.

33% 17% 26% Followed or stalked.

Perpetration Behaviors

5% Perpetrated any type of sexual assault

1% Think they have sexually assaulted someone.

15% Perpetrated any type of intimate partner violence

4% Hit, slapped, kicked, shaken or thrown a roommate.

2% Threatened with a knife or gun.

1% Shot or stabbed.

3% Threatened someone online.

3% Followed or stalked.


UWW services and prevention
While a student at UWW, has learned about sexual assault through the following methods:

Female Male All
36% 38% 37% In a classroom (instructor presented).

46% 42% 44% In a classroom (speaker other than instructor).

33% 24% 29% At a program on campus.

23% 18% 21% At a program in a residence hall.

43% 32% 39% During preview or welcome week.

73% 70% 71% Posters on campus.

56% 51% 53% Brochures.

54% 58% 55% Bulletin board or display case.

36% 48% 40% Royal Purple (campus newspaper).

10% 6% 8% Sexual Assault Response Team (SARTeam) Website.

56% 50% 54% While a student at UWW, has received written material on sexual assault resources and/or policies in the mail.

42% 43% 42% While a student at UWW, has received written material on sexual assault resources and/or policies in a class.

11% 17% 15% While a student at UWW, has accessed information on sexual assault resources and/or policies on any UWW website.

71% 68% 69% Feels that UWW adequately educates on issues related to sexual assault.

83% 79% 82% Feels that UWW works to help students stay safe from sexual violence.

58% 59% 58% Is aware that support and advocacy services are available 24 hours per day through the Sexual Assault Response Team (SARTeam).

5% 1% 4% While at UWW, ever told a friend or family member that they were sexually assaulted.

<1% 0 <1% While at UWW, ever told a faculty, staff or SARTeam member that they were sexually assaulted.

0 0 0 While at UWW, ever told the police that they were sexually assaulted.

<1% 0 <1% While at UWW, ever told Student Life or Residence Life that they were sexually assaulted.

10% 20% 13% Believes UWW favors victims when responding to sexual assault allegations.
11% 11% 12% Believes UWW favors alleged perpetrators when responding to sexual assault.
79% 70% 75% Believes UWW treats victims and alleged perpetrators fairly.

Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding. Definitions: Sexual Intercourse: Vaginal or anal intercourse, oral sex, or any intrusion, of any part of a person's body or any object, into the genital or anal opening. Consent: Words or overt actions by a person who is competent to give informed consent, indicating a freely given agreement. Intimate partner: Anyone with whom you have or had a sexual and/or romantic relationship. This can be a current or former boyfriend, girlfriend, partner or spouse.

National College Health Assessment (2005)

In March of 2005, 401 UWW students were surveyed anonymously in their classes.

Within the last school year, UWW students reported experiencing:
Verbal threats for sex against their will -- 3 % of men, 5 % of women
Sexual touching agaisnt their will -- 7% of men , 15% of women
Attempeted sexual penetration against their will -- 3% of men, 5% of women
An emotionally abusive relationship -- 11% of men, 16% of women
A physically abusive relationship -- 1% of men, 2% of women

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