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Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is any forced, coerced, or unwanted
sexual contact. It includes any unwanted sexual act or contact that is
attempted or completed against a person's will.
Sexual Assault Statistics
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An American is sexually assaulted every
two minutes.
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Sexual assault is down by half since 1993, yet there
were still 248,000 sexual assaults in 2001.
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About 44% of rape victims are under age 18; about 15%
are under age 12.
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One in six American women has been the victim of an
attempted or completed rape.
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About 10% of sexual assault victims are men.
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About 2/3 of sexual assaults are committed by someone
who is known to the victim.
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Less than 39% of sexual assaults are reported to law
enforcement.
Myths & Facts Regarding Sexual Assault
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Myth: Rape is caused by the rapist's
uncontrollable sexual urge.
Fact: Rape is an act of power and control not sex. Rapes are
oftenplanned or carried out by intimate partners, acquaintances, family members
or strangers.
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Myth: The victim must have "asked for it" by
being seductive, careless, drunk, high, etc.
Fact: No one asks to be abused, injured or humiliated.
Individuals of all ages, from all walks of life, have been the targets of
sexual assault.
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Myth: Most rapists are strangers to their
victims.
Fact: Most rapes are committed by someone that the victim
knows: a neighbor, friend acquanitance, co-worker, classmate, spouse,
partner or ex-partner.
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Myth: If the victim did not physically
struggle with or fight the assailant, it wasn't really rape.,
Fact: Assailants are not looking for a fight and they use
many forms of coercion, threats and manipulation to rape. Alcohol, and
other drugs such as Rohypnol are often used to incapacitate a victim.
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Myth: Men can not be sexually assaulted.
Fact: Men can and are sexually assaulted as boys and
adults. 1 in 6 boys will be assaulted before age 16.
Common Responses to Sexual Assault
*Although there is no standard response to sexual
assault, some of the following are common:
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Fear, Anxiety: feeling unsafe,
nervousness, fear of situations linked to the assault, compulsive behaviors.
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Shock, Disbelief: numb, unemotional,
surreal feelings.
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Helplessness, Depression: feeling
powerless, overwhelmed, unable to make choices, self-hatred.
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Anger: fury, desire to retaliate against
assailant.
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Shame, Embarassment: feeling "bad,"
feeling that everyone will know that you have been raped.
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Self-blame, Guilt: feeling at fault,
responsible for the attack.
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Flashbacks: remembering, "reliving" the
assault.
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Isolation: feeling alone or that no one
else can relate to your experience.
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