Sexual Assault and Dating Violence
Preventing Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault Statistics
Women
- 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).*
- 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.*
- 9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003.**
Men
- About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.*
- In 2003, 1 in every 10 rape victims were male.**
- 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.*
Effects Of Sexual Assault
Victims of sexual assault are***:
- 3 times more likely to suffer from depression
- 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder
- 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol
- 26 times more likely to abuse drugs
- 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide
If you or a friend is experiencing the effects of a sexual assault,
help is available:
* National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence against Women Survey, 1998
** U.S. Department of Justice, 2003 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003
*** World Health Organization, 2002