GITNUXREPORT 2026

Sexual Abuse Statistics

Sexual violence affects one in three women and countless others globally.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Victims of child sexual abuse are 2-3 times more likely to suffer depression.

Statistic 2

30% of child victims develop PTSD.

Statistic 3

Sexual abuse survivors 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.

Statistic 4

33% of women with rape-related PTSD also have depression.

Statistic 5

Child victims 3 times more likely to abuse drugs/alcohol.

Statistic 6

40% of survivors experience chronic health issues.

Statistic 7

Rape victims 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with STDs.

Statistic 8

70% of survivors report sleep disturbances.

Statistic 9

Eating disorders 2-3 times higher in survivors.

Statistic 10

Revictimization rate: 33% of child victims abused as adults.

Statistic 11

Economic cost: $127 billion annually in US from child maltreatment.

Statistic 12

20% of survivors become perpetrators themselves.

Statistic 13

Brain changes: Reduced hippocampal volume in survivors.

Statistic 14

50% of female inmates and 29% male inmates report CSA.

Statistic 15

Homeless youth: 25% experienced sexual abuse.

Statistic 16

Survivors 2.5 times more likely to be HIV positive.

Statistic 17

Most perpetrators are male (96%).

Statistic 18

57% of perpetrators are current or former partners.

Statistic 19

34% of perpetrators are family members.

Statistic 20

93% of child victims know the perpetrator.

Statistic 21

50% of perpetrators are acquaintances.

Statistic 22

In child abuse, 40% are parents or guardians.

Statistic 23

60% of perpetrators are white, 20% Black in US.

Statistic 24

Average child molester has 117 victims.

Statistic 25

35% of perpetrators are under 18 themselves.

Statistic 26

Clergy abusers: 4% of priests accused.

Statistic 27

Coach abusers: 7% of youth coaches implicated.

Statistic 28

Family members perpetrate 30% of rapes.

Statistic 29

Strangers commit only 13% of sexual assaults.

Statistic 30

Repeat offenders: 36% arrested again within 3 years.

Statistic 31

Online groomers: 80% male, average age 35.

Statistic 32

Fraternity men: 10% admit raping someone.

Statistic 33

Perpetrators often use alcohol: 50% of cases.

Statistic 34

70% of perpetrators have prior convictions.

Statistic 35

1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

Statistic 36

1 in 33 American men has experienced an attempted or completed rape.

Statistic 37

91% of victims of rape & sexual assault are female.

Statistic 38

Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

Statistic 39

120 million girls under 20 (about 10%) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts.

Statistic 40

In the US, 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.

Statistic 41

12% of children in the US experience sexual abuse.

Statistic 42

Worldwide, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse.

Statistic 43

In Australia, 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since age 15.

Statistic 44

UK: 20% of women and 8% of men have experienced sexual assault.

Statistic 45

In the EU, 1 in 20 women have been raped.

Statistic 46

India: 93 women are raped every day.

Statistic 47

South Africa: 1 in 4 men admit to raping someone.

Statistic 48

In the US, college women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault during college.

Statistic 49

82% of sexual assaults of juvenile victims involve a family member or acquaintance.

Statistic 50

42% of sexual assault victims are under age 18.

Statistic 51

In the US, only 31% of sexual assaults are reported to police.

Statistic 52

Lifetime risk of rape or attempted rape for US women is 21.3%.

Statistic 53

13% of women report rape-related pregnancy.

Statistic 54

In conflict zones, 21-71% of women report sexual violence.

Statistic 55

Only 2-10% of reports lead to conviction.

Statistic 56

5% of rape cases result in incarceration.

Statistic 57

994 of 1000 perpetrators walk free.

Statistic 58

Backlog of rape kits: 100,000+ in US cities.

Statistic 59

False reporting rate: 2-10%.

Statistic 60

Police dismiss 65% of reports as "unfounded".

Statistic 61

Child abuse reports: 60% substantiated.

Statistic 62

Hotline calls: RAINN handles 70,000+ crisis calls yearly.

Statistic 63

Mandatory reporting laws cover 18 professions.

Statistic 64

63% of assaults not reported due to fear.

Statistic 65

Prosecution rate: 40% of reported cases.

Statistic 66

Conviction rate drops to 16% after indictment.

Statistic 67

Restitution awarded in 20% of cases.

Statistic 68

International: 1 in 3 countries have no rape laws.

Statistic 69

US states: 33 have no age for statutory rape.

Statistic 70

Shelter beds insufficient: 40% occupancy crisis.

Statistic 71

Training: Only 46% police trained on trauma.

Statistic 72

DNA clearance rate: 45% for kits tested.

Statistic 73

Global helplines: 200+ dedicated lines.

Statistic 74

68% of survivors seek counseling post-assault.

Statistic 75

US females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely to be victims of rape.

Statistic 76

94% of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.

Statistic 77

Girls are 3 times more likely to be victims of child sexual abuse than boys.

Statistic 78

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before 18.

Statistic 79

Indigenous women in US are 2.5 times more likely to be raped than non-Indigenous.

Statistic 80

LGBTQ+ youth are 2-4 times more likely to experience sexual violence.

Statistic 81

Disabled women are 3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.

Statistic 82

70% of deaf women report sexual assault before age 20.

Statistic 83

Rural women in US face 2 times higher rates of sexual violence.

Statistic 84

Elderly women over 60: 4% experience sexual abuse annually.

Statistic 85

Transgender individuals: 47% report sexual assault in lifetime.

Statistic 86

Black women in US: 22% raped in lifetime vs 18% white women.

Statistic 87

Hispanic women: 14.6% lifetime rape victimization.

Statistic 88

Male victims: 50% assaulted by another male.

Statistic 89

Child victims under 12: 34% female, 66% male in some studies.

Statistic 90

Adolescent girls 12-17: highest risk group for sexual assault.

Statistic 91

Women with disabilities: 40-68% lifetime sexual violence.

Statistic 92

Military women: 24% assaulted during service.

Statistic 93

Prison women inmates: 57% raped before incarceration.

Statistic 94

90% of child sexual abuse victims are girls under 18.

1/94

Sources

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Behind every staggering statistic lies a human story, a truth we must confront: sexual abuse is a pervasive global crisis that shatters lives across every demographic, as revealed by the devastating numbers showing that one in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape, one in three women worldwide has experienced violence, and countless others, from children to the elderly, endure its profound and lasting scars.

Key Takeaways

1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.
1 in 33 American men has experienced an attempted or completed rape.
91% of victims of rape & sexual assault are female.
US females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely to be victims of rape.
94% of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.
Girls are 3 times more likely to be victims of child sexual abuse than boys.
Most perpetrators are male (96%).
57% of perpetrators are current or former partners.
34% of perpetrators are family members.
Victims of child sexual abuse are 2-3 times more likely to suffer depression.
30% of child victims develop PTSD.
Sexual abuse survivors 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.
Only 2-10% of reports lead to conviction.
5% of rape cases result in incarceration.
994 of 1000 perpetrators walk free.

Sexual violence affects one in three women and countless others globally.

Impacts

Victims of child sexual abuse are 2-3 times more likely to suffer depression.
30% of child victims develop PTSD.
Sexual abuse survivors 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.
33% of women with rape-related PTSD also have depression.
Child victims 3 times more likely to abuse drugs/alcohol.
40% of survivors experience chronic health issues.
Rape victims 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with STDs.
70% of survivors report sleep disturbances.
Eating disorders 2-3 times higher in survivors.
Revictimization rate: 33% of child victims abused as adults.
Economic cost: $127 billion annually in US from child maltreatment.
20% of survivors become perpetrators themselves.
Brain changes: Reduced hippocampal volume in survivors.
50% of female inmates and 29% male inmates report CSA.
Homeless youth: 25% experienced sexual abuse.
Survivors 2.5 times more likely to be HIV positive.

Impacts Interpretation

These statistics are not just numbers, they are the brutal arithmetic of stolen childhoods and the lifelong compounding interest of trauma on the human mind and body.

Perpetrator Characteristics

Most perpetrators are male (96%).
57% of perpetrators are current or former partners.
34% of perpetrators are family members.
93% of child victims know the perpetrator.
50% of perpetrators are acquaintances.
In child abuse, 40% are parents or guardians.
60% of perpetrators are white, 20% Black in US.
Average child molester has 117 victims.
35% of perpetrators are under 18 themselves.
Clergy abusers: 4% of priests accused.
Coach abusers: 7% of youth coaches implicated.
Family members perpetrate 30% of rapes.
Strangers commit only 13% of sexual assaults.
Repeat offenders: 36% arrested again within 3 years.
Online groomers: 80% male, average age 35.
Fraternity men: 10% admit raping someone.
Perpetrators often use alcohol: 50% of cases.
70% of perpetrators have prior convictions.

Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation

This chilling data paints a stark, unwelcome family portrait: the gravest danger often wears a familiar face, wielding trust and proximity as its primary weapons.

Prevalence

1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.
1 in 33 American men has experienced an attempted or completed rape.
91% of victims of rape & sexual assault are female.
Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
120 million girls under 20 (about 10%) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts.
In the US, 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.
12% of children in the US experience sexual abuse.
Worldwide, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse.
In Australia, 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since age 15.
UK: 20% of women and 8% of men have experienced sexual assault.
In the EU, 1 in 20 women have been raped.
India: 93 women are raped every day.
South Africa: 1 in 4 men admit to raping someone.
In the US, college women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault during college.
82% of sexual assaults of juvenile victims involve a family member or acquaintance.
42% of sexual assault victims are under age 18.
In the US, only 31% of sexual assaults are reported to police.
Lifetime risk of rape or attempted rape for US women is 21.3%.
13% of women report rape-related pregnancy.
In conflict zones, 21-71% of women report sexual violence.

Prevalence Interpretation

This horrifying mosaic of statistics isn't a pattern of distant crimes, but a global epidemic of silence and access, revealing a world where the primary qualification for victimhood is simply being born female, young, or known to your attacker.

Reporting

Only 2-10% of reports lead to conviction.
5% of rape cases result in incarceration.
994 of 1000 perpetrators walk free.
Backlog of rape kits: 100,000+ in US cities.
False reporting rate: 2-10%.
Police dismiss 65% of reports as "unfounded".
Child abuse reports: 60% substantiated.
Hotline calls: RAINN handles 70,000+ crisis calls yearly.
Mandatory reporting laws cover 18 professions.
63% of assaults not reported due to fear.
Prosecution rate: 40% of reported cases.
Conviction rate drops to 16% after indictment.
Restitution awarded in 20% of cases.
International: 1 in 3 countries have no rape laws.
US states: 33 have no age for statutory rape.
Shelter beds insufficient: 40% occupancy crisis.
Training: Only 46% police trained on trauma.
DNA clearance rate: 45% for kits tested.
Global helplines: 200+ dedicated lines.
68% of survivors seek counseling post-assault.

Reporting Interpretation

The staggering odds stacked against survivors—from overwhelming backlogs to systemic dismissal—paint a grim portrait of justice that feels more like a statistical labyrinth than a promise of protection.

Victim Demographics

US females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely to be victims of rape.
94% of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.
Girls are 3 times more likely to be victims of child sexual abuse than boys.
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before 18.
Indigenous women in US are 2.5 times more likely to be raped than non-Indigenous.
LGBTQ+ youth are 2-4 times more likely to experience sexual violence.
Disabled women are 3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.
70% of deaf women report sexual assault before age 20.
Rural women in US face 2 times higher rates of sexual violence.
Elderly women over 60: 4% experience sexual abuse annually.
Transgender individuals: 47% report sexual assault in lifetime.
Black women in US: 22% raped in lifetime vs 18% white women.
Hispanic women: 14.6% lifetime rape victimization.
Male victims: 50% assaulted by another male.
Child victims under 12: 34% female, 66% male in some studies.
Adolescent girls 12-17: highest risk group for sexual assault.
Women with disabilities: 40-68% lifetime sexual violence.
Military women: 24% assaulted during service.
Prison women inmates: 57% raped before incarceration.
90% of child sexual abuse victims are girls under 18.

Victim Demographics Interpretation

This staggering constellation of statistics forms a grim map where the most vulnerable among us—the young, the marginalized, and those betrayed by trust—are systematically plotted in the crosshairs of predators who are most often not strangers in shadows, but familiar faces in the light.

Sources & References

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