Sexual Assault protest. Photo via Peoples Dispatch, CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed | Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International | Creative Commons, (No Changes Made).
Over half of women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. Since the 1990s, advocates have dedicated April to sexual assault awareness but officially became a national awareness month in 2001 thanks to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, (NSVRC), an organization first established in 2000 centered around providing information about sexual violence. When the victim does not consent to sexual contact, perpetrators commit sexual assault. Sexual violence can affect anybody and can take many forms. Many victims do not report sexual assaults, and they may have various reasons for not doing so. According to the NSVRC, as of 2015, victims failed to report 63% of sexual assaults to the authorities.
Why do Victims Not Report Assault?
There are many reasons victims may not report sexual assault. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, (RAINN), 93% of juvenile victims knew their abuser. Fear plays a key factor in why victims may not report their assaults, fear of causing more harm, fear of doubt from others, fear of the importance of the crime or fear of unachievable justice. According to the Central MN Sexual Assault Center, (CMSAC), if a rape gets reported there will be a 50.8% chance of an arrest, if an arrest gets made there will be an 80% chance of prosecution and if prosecution occurs, there will be 58% chance of conviction. Perpetrators often evade justice in many cases of sexual violence, which explains why many cases remain unreported.
The MeToo Movement
Many crimes often go unreported, leaving victims feeling unseen. The “Me Too” movement empowered many. The Me Too movement, created by activist Tarana Burke, started in 2006 to tell victims that they are not alone and they are seen by those who share similar experiences of sexual violence. The movement gained the most traction when actress Alyssa Milano went to Twitter, currently known as X, and shared the words, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Quickly after, many users, fans and actors responded in similitude and support. With this, many individuals stepped forward with their stories, supported by the newfound community from this movement.
According to an article from Forbes, over 5,000 people had come forward asking for help from the TimesUp Legal Defense Fund. This organization supports those affected by sexual harassment in the workplace by providing media and legal support. The organization also offered financial support to those in need, as it was one of the main reasons for its funding. The Me Too movement continues to be a running organization to this day and dedicates itself to the healing, justice, action and leadership of survivors. Although sexual violence permanently affects victims, the organization greatly supports them.
Age-Based Sexual Assault
Younger people face the highest risk of sexual violence. According to RAINN, their study explains in detail that of all victims under 18, two out of three are between 12-17. This may be because those at younger ages are vulnerable and naive, especially when the perpetrator is older than the victim. Perpetrators are often close to the victim, known and liked by the victim’s community or family, according to The Children’s Assessment Center (CAC). They may be well-known and liked by the victim’s community or family.
Many victims refrain from reporting sexual abuse because they do not even know what sexual abuse is. A study from the CDC states that one in four women and one in six men experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. This information relies only on reported cases of sexual violence; as explained by the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide, 85% of child abuse victims never report their abuse.
What Happens to Sexual Assault Victims?
Subjection to sexual assault may cause many physical, mental, and emotional effects on the victim. According to the National Library of Medicine, sexual violence experienced during childhood and adolescence may lead to lifelong trauma. Studies show that young victims often experience thoughts of self-blame and a broken self-image. Many experience anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a dissociative state of mind. Physical effects may consist of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating disorders, obesity, myositis, gastrointestinal issues, abdominal pain, migraines and headaches.
Those affected by sexual violence in their adulthood can experience numerous amounts of health issues, both mental and physical. Common issues that may occur include lower abdominal health issues, infections, reproductive complications, widespread chronic pain, hypertension, sleep disturbances, fatigue and other physical side effects. Mentally, numerous adults have high levels of stress, fear, chronic depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Though every victim and their experiences are different from one another, ultimately sexual violence causes life-long struggles for victims.
Gender-Based and LGBTQ+ Sexual Violence
Females face higher rates of sexual violence. According to Forbes, as of 2023, globally an estimated 736 million women, one in three, have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life. Despite this fact, men still fall victim to sexual violence. According to the CDC, of male victims of completed or attempted rape, 71% first experienced victimization before age 25. From 2017-2020, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the rate of violent victimization of homosexual people ages 16 or older was more than two times the rate for heterosexual people. This also applies to transgender people compared to cisgender people. Overall, the LGBTQ+ community faces higher rates of sexual violence than heterosexual and cisgender individuals.
Race-Based Sexual Violence
Though statistically women face higher rates of sexual violence, the issue extends much deeper than that. According to the Ballard Brief, Native Americans face roughly a 2.5% higher likelihood of experiencing sexual violence compared to other races.”According to Columbia University Irving Medical, more than half of Native American women experience sexual violence at some point during their lifetimes, and one out of three is raped. Overall, people of color are more likely to be exposed to sexual violence. According to the National Institute of Justice, people of color are more likely to be exposed to sexual violence. As stated by the National Library of Medicine from a study in 2010, 17.2% of Latina women experienced a lifetime sexual assault, with 13.6% reporting a lifetime rape. This does not disregard the experiences of other people from other races and ethnicities as everybody’s experiences are different.
Where to Get Help
Victims can seek help in various ways, including clinics, therapy, counselors, family, and friends. Acknowledging those suffering from the pain of sexual violence is important to make them feel seen and heard. The National Sexual Violence Assault Hotline, operated by RAINN, provides a hotline that individuals can dial at 800-656-4673.They also offer an online chat service that is available 24/7; to use the chat, visit online.rainn.org.
