How widespread is sexual violence in the United States?

• Nearly 1 in 5 (18.3 percent) women and 1 in 71 (1.4 percent) men experience rape at some point in their lives in the United States.[3]
• Approximately 1 in 20 women (5.6 percent) and 1 in 20 men (5.3 percent) experience sexual violence other than rape in their lives in the United States.[4]
• Among adult women, 6.9 percent of American Indian/Alaska Natives, 22 percent of non-Hispanic blacks, 18.8 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 14.6 percent of Hispanics, and 35.5 percent of women of multiple races experienced an attempted or a completed rape at some time in their lives.[5]

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Sexual Violence: Facts At a Glance. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/SV-DataSheet-a.pdf.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

What culture changes and public policies are necessary for preventing sexual violence?

Cultivating greater respect for women and girls and promoting sexual health in a way that emphasizes personal responsibility are both mechanisms for reducing the prevalence of sexual violence.^[6] Mass media campaigns can be effective in changing attitudes toward sexual violence and helping to eliminate “rape culture.”^[7] Additionally, providers such as doctors, teachers, law enforcement officers, child care workers, and others can be trained help to promote healthy sexual behavior and prevent sexual violence.^[8]

^[6] Ibid.

^[7] Davis, R., Parks, L., Cohen, L. National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2006) Sexual Violence and the Spectrum of Prevention: Towards A Community Solution. Retrieved from http://www.nsvrc.org/ sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Booklets_Sexual-Violence-and-the-Spectrum-of-Prevention_Towards-a-Community-Solution_0.pdf.

^[8] Ibid.

What practical solutions are effective for preventing sexual violence?

The most common strategies for preventing sexual violence focus on the victim, the perpetrator, or bystanders.^[9] The most effective models focus on addressing dating violence among high school students through school-wide interventions and bystander-based models among college students.^[10] Increased knowledge about the elements of sexual consent, sexual harassment and abuse, and changing harmful attitudes toward rape are common themes among these models.^[11]

Learn more about these practical peaceful solutions in our Choose Peaceful Practices series of information pages.

^[9] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (2017) Sexual Violence: Prevention Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/prevention.html.

^[10] Ibid.

^[11] Ibid.

What can I do to prevent or stop sexual violence?

• Keep an eye on a friend—If you are going out in a group, plan to arrive together and leave together. If you decide to leave early, let your friends know. If you’re at a party, check in with them during the night to see how they’re doing. If something doesn’t look right, step in. Don’t be afraid to let a friend know if something is making you uncomfortable or if you are worried about their safety.[12]
• Don’t leave a drink unattended—Keep your drink with you at all times. Throw it out if you do leave it unattended while going to the restroom, dancing, or making a phone call.[13]
• Have a code word—Develop a code with friends or family that means “I’m uncomfortable” or “I need help.”[14]
• Think of an escape route—Locate the doors, windows, or any others means of exiting the situation as soon as you arrive at the place you are gathering.[15]
• Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline—at 656.HOPE, online.rainn.org and rainn.org/es (Spanish) for confidential support from a trained staff member, help finding a health facility trained to care for sexual assault survivors, and referrals to legal and support services.
• In case of emergency—If you are experiencing or witnessing an emergency, such as an IPV incident, call 911 or try to get to a location where others can observe your distress and intervene.

[12] RAINN. Alcohol Safety. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/alcohol-safety.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

Where can I find statistics about sexual violence?

For national-level statistics about sexual violence, go to:

• Bureau of Justice Statistics—https://bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/ncvs
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nisvs/index.html

Where else might I go to learn more about sexual violence?

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—sexual violence webpage.
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center—research and tools on sexual violence.
• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network—nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Information Sheet-Do Something-Sexual Violence (PDF)

Peace Through Action USA activates and equips Americans to implement practical peaceful solutions to aggression and violence in their communities and our country. We are a charitable, civic and social capital-building organization.

Have a suggested improvement to this information sheet? Send it to inbox@peacethroughaction.org.

 

[12] RAINN. Alcohol Safety. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/alcohol-safety

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.