Every sixty-eight seconds, another American is sexually assaulted, a staggering reality illuminated by statistics that reveal not only the relentless frequency of these crimes but also the heartbreakingly familiar nature of the perpetrators and the profound, lifelong trauma survivors are forced to endure.
Key Takeaways
- Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted
- 1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime
- About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime
- 21% of female college students report sexual assault victimization
- Black women are 1.5 times more likely to experience sexual violence than white women
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before age 18
- 96% of child sexual abusers are male
- 34% of perpetrators are family members for child victims
- 59% of female perpetrators were known to the child victim
- Out of 1000 forcible rapes, 384 are reported to police
- 57% of rapes are not reported to police
- Only 230 arrests out of 1000 reported rapes
- Sexual assault survivors are 3 times more likely to suffer depression
- 30% of women raped develop PTSD, compared to 9% general population
- 94% of women experience PTSD symptoms 2 weeks after assault
Sexual assault is a pervasive crime primarily committed by known perpetrators against vulnerable groups.
Impacts
- Sexual assault survivors are 3 times more likely to suffer depression
- 30% of women raped develop PTSD, compared to 9% general population
- 94% of women experience PTSD symptoms 2 weeks after assault
- 33% of rape victims contemplate suicide, 13% attempt it
- Sexual assault increases risk of substance abuse by 3-4 times
- 50% of survivors develop alcohol abuse issues
- Victims are 4 times more likely to suffer chronic health issues like fibromyalgia
- 68% of assaulted women lose 3-7 days of work productivity
- Annual cost of rape to U.S. is $127 billion
- Child sexual abuse victims 2-3 times more likely to abuse drugs/alcohol
- 80% of survivors experience long-term relationship difficulties
- Rape victims have 26% higher healthcare costs over lifetime
- 37% of survivors develop anxiety disorders
- Survivors are twice as likely to be revictimized
- Pregnancy from rape occurs in 5% of cases
- STD transmission risk increases 20-fold post-assault
- 70% of survivors report sexual dysfunction lasting years
- Economic loss from sexual violence is $3.1 trillion over victims' lifetimes
- Male victims experience 50% higher suicide rates post-assault
Impacts Interpretation
These statistics are not just numbers on a page; they are the brutal, lifelong invoice for a crime that society still struggles to make the perpetrator truly pay.
Perpetrator Profile
- 96% of child sexual abusers are male
- 34% of perpetrators are family members for child victims
- 59% of female perpetrators were known to the child victim
- 70% of perpetrators are known to adult victims
- 60% of perpetrators of sexual violence are white
- Perpetrators are more likely to be repeat offenders, with 40% committing multiple assaults
- 98% of perpetrators in cases against LGBTQ youth are male
- In military settings, 89% of perpetrators are known to the victim
- College male perpetrators often use alcohol to facilitate assault, in 72% of cases
- 80% of campus sexual assaults involve alcohol use by perpetrator or victim
- Fraternity men are 3 times more likely to commit rape than non-fraternity men
- 1 in 12 male college students admit to forcing a partner to have sex
- Serial rapists account for 44% of all rapes
- Most perpetrators are between 18-35 years old
- 57% of rapes occur in the home of victim or perpetrator
- Offenders often exhibit prior criminal history in 70% of cases
- Only 6% of rapists are strangers to the victim
- 42% of rapists are married or in committed relationships
- African American men comprise 37% of perpetrators despite being 6% of population
- 25% of perpetrators in prison for sexual assault have prior sex offense convictions
Perpetrator Profile Interpretation
The chilling profile of sexual violence paints a picture not of a shadowy monster, but of a disturbingly familiar man—a neighbor, a classmate, or even a family member—who uses trust, access, and often alcohol as his primary weapons in a cycle of predation that our society is still failing to stop.
Prevalence
- Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted
- 1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime
- About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime
- From 2005-2010, 64% of female rape victims were raped by an intimate partner and 33% by an acquaintance
- In 2010, there were 188,380 rape and sexual assault victimizations reported to law enforcement
- The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female and 9% are male
- 82% of all juvenile victims are female
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their perpetrator
- Teen girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault
- 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime
- Approximately 2/3 of sexual assaults are committed by someone who is known to the victim
- 38% of rapists are a family member of the victim
- In 8 out of 10 rape cases, the victim knows the perpetrator
- Every 9 minutes, the FBI reports that law enforcement are called to investigate a forcible rape
- 17.7 million women have been raped or have experienced an attempted rape
- 2.8 million men have been raped
- In 2016, there were 359,610 rape and sexual assault victimizations
- The rate of rape/sexual assault victimization was 2.0 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2019
- Females experienced rape/sexual assault at a rate of 2.7 per 1,000, compared to 0.7 per 1,000 for males in 2019
- Lifetime prevalence of rape among women was 21.3% in the 2016-2017 NISVS
- 43.6% of women experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime per NISVS 2016/17
- Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence
- 12% of girls experience sexual violence before age 18 worldwide
- Up to 1 in 5 women worldwide have experienced rape or attempted rape
- In the U.S., 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime
- 27% of women experienced unwanted sexual contact in public spaces
- College women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than their non-college peers
- 13% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation
- 5.8% of college men report being sexually assaulted
- 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men experience completed or attempted rape during college
- Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than those not in college
Prevalence Interpretation
Behind every one of these horrifyingly impersonal statistics is a devastating human betrayal, most often committed not by a lurking stranger in the shadows, but by someone the victim knew, trusted, and often even loved.
Reporting & Legal
- Out of 1000 forcible rapes, 384 are reported to police
- 57% of rapes are not reported to police
- Only 230 arrests out of 1000 reported rapes
- 25 out of 1000 result in felony conviction
- Only 5 out of 1000 perpetrators spend a year or more in prison
- 2,780 forcible rapes reported per day in the U.S.
- Only 40% of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement
- 65% of sexual assaults go unreported
- Black women are half as likely to report rape as white women
- 60% of child sexual abuse is not reported
- Only 30% of sexual assaults on college campuses are reported
- 90% of campus sexual assaults are not formally reported to authorities
- False reporting rate for rape is 2-10%, similar to other crimes
- 1 in 3 cases reported to police result in arrest
- 40% of reported cases lead to prosecution
- Incarceration rate for rape is 18%, compared to 70% for other violent crimes
- 80% of sexual assault survivors do not pursue legal action
- Police are less likely to believe male victims, leading to 20% lower reporting
- In military, only 20% of assaults are reported
- 95% of prison sexual assaults go unreported
- Reasons for non-reporting include fear of retaliation (50%), shame (45%)
- Victims of color report at lower rates due to distrust of system (60%)
Reporting & Legal Interpretation
The justice system's handling of sexual assault reveals a grim, infuriating arithmetic where the overwhelming majority of perpetrators navigate a landscape of silence and institutional failure with near-impunity.
Victim Profile
- 21% of female college students report sexual assault victimization
- Black women are 1.5 times more likely to experience sexual violence than white women
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before age 18
- Native American/Alaska Native women are 2.2 times more likely to experience sexual assault than white women
- 1 in 3 Indigenous women experience sexual violence in their lifetime
- LGBTQ individuals are 4 times more likely to experience sexual violence than non-LGBTQ
- 46% of bisexual women and 13% of lesbian women report rape victimization
- Transgender students are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than cisgender students
- 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted after age 16
- Women with disabilities are 2-3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted
- 90% of women with intellectual disabilities experience sexual assault in their lifetime
- Rural women experience higher rates of sexual violence than urban women
- 1 in 10 women are raped by their military superior
- Female veterans are twice as likely to experience sexual assault as civilians
- 24% of female inmates report sexual victimization by staff
- 1 in 4 girls in foster care experience sexual abuse
- Homeless women are 3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted
- 83% of disabled women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime
- Latinx women face sexual violence at rates 1.3 times higher than non-Latinx
- Asian/Pacific Islander women are less likely to report but experience high rates of acquaintance rape
- Elderly women over 60 experience sexual assault at a rate of 1 in 10
- 40% of sexual assault victims are under 18 years old
- 50% of sexual assaults occur at or near the victim's home
- Most child sexual abuse offenders are male
Victim Profile Interpretation
These statistics form a horrifying mosaic where, no matter which piece of society you examine—whether defined by age, race, gender, ability, or circumstance—you find a group of people systematically targeted by sexual violence, revealing a national crisis of both epidemic breadth and criminal specificity.
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