This page explores sexual assault in the United States across who is affected, where it occurs, and the lasting consequences for victims. It covers victimization rates by sex and age, with a focus on children and college students, and highlights how risk can vary across communities. You’ll also see patterns in perpetration—such as how often offenders are known to the victim—along with downstream effects like mental health outcomes, economic loss, and underreporting.
Key Takeaways
- PTSD develops in 94% of sexual assault victims, 30% attempt suicide, per NIMH/CDC
- Sexual assault victims are 3 times more likely to suffer depression, 6 times PTSD, CDC
- 33% of rape victims contemplate suicide, 13% attempt it, RAINN
- 60% of perpetrators of sexual violence are white, 22% Black, per RAINN/BJS
- 96% of sexual assaults on college campuses are committed by known acquaintances, not strangers, per NSVRC
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims are assaulted by someone they know, Darkness to Light
- In 2021, there were an estimated 463,634 victims of rape or sexual assault (rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse excluding rape) aged 12 or older in the United States according to the National Crime Victimization Survey
- The rate of rape or sexual assault victimization was 17.0 per 1,000 females age 12 or older in 2021, compared to 2.6 per 1,000 males, per NCVS data
- From 1993 to 2021, the rate of rape/sexual assault declined 64%, from 5.0 to 1.8 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, BJS reports
- Only 310 out of 1,000 perpetrators are arrested, RAINN/BJS
- Of reported sexual assaults, 5% lead to felony conviction, per RAINN
- Less than 25% of sexual assaults are reported to police, BJS NCVS 2021
- Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) in the U.S. have experienced completed rape, per 2011 CDC NISVS
- Black or African American females experience rape at a rate of 22.0% lifetime prevalence, higher than white females at 18.8%, CDC NISVS
- 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse, per CDC
Sexual assault devastates victims’ mental health and lives while reporting rates and convictions remain shockingly low.
Related reading
01 · Category
Effects And Consequences30 stats
01
PTSD develops in 94% of sexual assault victims, 30% attempt suicide, per NIMH/CDC
02
Sexual assault victims are 3 times more likely to suffer depression, 6 times PTSD, CDC
03
33% of rape victims contemplate suicide, 13% attempt it, RAINN
04
Victims lose $127 billion annually in lifetime earnings due to assault, CDC
05
70% of rape victims experience severe distress, 31% moderate, BJS
06
Child sexual abuse victims 4x more likely to abuse alcohol as adults, CDC
07
50% of sexual assault survivors develop STDs, higher HIV risk, CDC NISVS
08
Unplanned pregnancies from rape: 5% of victims, Guttmacher
09
Sexual assault increases risk of chronic pelvic pain by 45%, medical studies
10
68% of survivors report sleep disorders post-assault, NSVRC
11
Victims 4 times more likely to be homeless, HUD/NSVRC
12
Lifetime healthcare costs for sexual violence victim: $168,000per female, CDC
13
37% of survivors develop anxiety disorders, NIMH
14
Child victims 2-3 times more likely to experience revictimization, CDC
15
90% of college victims experience academic impacts, AAU Survey
16
Sexual assault raises heart disease risk by 60%, cardiovascular studies
17
40% of victims drop out of school post-assault, NSVRC
18
Survivors 13 times more likely to use cocaine, 26x heroin, SAMHSA
19
Gynecological issues in 20-40% of victims, increased 2-3 fold, medical review
20
Economic burden: $3.1 trillion over lifetime for 2014 victims, CDC update
21
81% of veterans with MST have PTSD, VA
22
Revictimization rate: 33% within 1 year for some groups, NIJ
23
50% increased risk of obesity in survivors, longitudinal studies
24
2/3 of suicide attempts linked to prior sexual abuse, CDC
25
Lost productivity costs $1.9 billion annually from sexual violence, CDC
26
45% of survivors report relationship difficulties lasting years, RAINN
27
HIV acquisition risk 30 times higher from sexual violence, CDC
28
25% of victims miss 3+ days work post-assault, BJS
29
Long-term: 16% disability from assault-related injuries, CDC
30
Eating disorders 3-4 times higher in survivors, NEDA
Interpretation
Effects And Consequences Interpretation
The effects and consequences of sexual assault are overwhelmingly severe, with 94% of victims developing PTSD and major mental and economic losses following, including 30% attempting suicide and $127 billion in lifetime earnings lost each year.
02 · Category
Perpetrator Profiles25 stats
01
60% of perpetrators of sexual violence are white, 22% Black, per RAINN/BJS
02
96% of sexual assaults on college campuses are committed by known acquaintances, not strangers, per NSVRC
03
93% of juvenile sexual assault victims are assaulted by someone they know, Darkness to Light
04
The average age of a sexual assault perpetrator is 26 years old, per BJS data
05
57% of rapists are White, 27% Black, 8% other races in reported cases, FBI UCR 2020
06
70% of perpetrators are known to adult victims, 80% to child victims, RAINN
07
In campus assaults, 72% of perpetrators are students at the same school, AAU Survey
08
82% of child molesters are male, per U.S. DOJ
09
Serial rapists commit 44% of lone rapes with aggravated circumstances, per NIJ study
10
50% of perpetrators in military sexual assault cases are in the victim's chain of command, DoD
11
41% of perpetrators are friends or acquaintances of adult victims, BJS NCVS
12
White males comprise 69% of convicted sex offenders, BJS
13
76% of serial sex offenders had prior criminal histories, NIJ
14
Alcohol is involved in 50% of sexual assaults, with perpetrator intoxication in 65% of cases, NIAAA
15
23% of perpetrators are family members in child sexual abuse cases, CDC
16
Hispanic perpetrators account for 15% of reported rape arrests, FBI 2022
17
85% of child sexual abuse perpetrators are male, RAINN
18
Fraternity members are 3 times more likely to commit sexual assault, per meta-analysis
19
62% of perpetrators in intimate partner sexual violence are current/former partners, CDC NISVS
20
Black males represent 27% of rape offenders despite being 13% of population, FBI UCR
21
40% of perpetrators have college education or higher, per BJS felons study
22
Juveniles commit 17% of sexual assaults against peers, OJJDP
23
Drug use is present in 40% of perpetrator cases, per NCVS
24
29% of perpetrators are intimate partners of adult female victims, BJS
25
99% of female college student victims' assailants were male, AAU
Interpretation
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
Across these perpetrator profiles, a consistent pattern emerges that most sexual violence is perpetrated by people the victim knows, including 96% of assaults on college campuses committed by known acquaintances and 70% of perpetrators known to adult victims, with race distributions also skewing heavily toward White perpetrators at around 57% to 60% in reported cases.
03 · Category
Prevalence And Incidence Rates30 stats
01
In 2021, there were an estimated 463,634 victims of rape or sexual assault (rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse excluding rape) aged 12 or older in the United States according to the National Crime Victimization Survey
02
The rate of rape or sexual assault victimization was 17.0 per 1,000 females age 12 or older in 2021, compared to 2.6 per 1,000 males, per NCVS data
03
From 1993 to 2021, the rate of rape/sexual assault declined 64%, from 5.0 to 1.8 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, BJS reports
04
In 2020, an estimated 1 in 6 American women (18%) have been raped at some point in their lives, CDC NISVS
05
Approximately 1 in 33 U.S. men (3%) have experienced an attempted or completed rape victimization in their lifetime, per CDC
06
Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, equating to 433,648 victims annually (2019 data), RAINN citing NSCAW/BJS
07
In 2019, only 384 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults were reported to police, RAINN/BJS
08
College-age women (18-24) are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in general, per Bureau of Justice Statistics
09
82% of sexual assaults of juvenile victims involved a relative, acquaintance, or family friend, per Darkness to Light
10
In 2022, the FBI reported 133,294 rape offenses in the U.S., a 6.7% increase from 2021
11
The lifetime prevalence of rape among U.S. women is 21.3%, with 13.0% reporting completed forced penetration, CDC NISVS 2016/2017
12
Sexual violence affects 81% of women and 43% of men before age 25, per CDC
13
In 2018, there were 25.5 million U.S. women who have experienced attempted or completed rape, CDC
14
Juveniles are the most common victims of sexual assault, comprising 46% of reported cases in 2021, per Crimes Against Children Research Center
15
From 2017-2021, the annual average number of rape/sexual assault victimizations was 278,390 for persons age 12+, BJS NCVS
16
In 2022, reported forcible rape offenses increased by 8.8% nationwide compared to 2021, FBI Crime Data Explorer
17
91% of sexual assault victims are female, per U.S. Department of Justice
18
The prevalence rate of sexual assault among transgender individuals is 47%, nearly double the rate for cisgender women, per National Center for Transgender Equality
19
In 2019, 1 in 5 women (20.7%) experienced rape in their lifetime, NSVRC citing CDC
20
Military women experience sexual assault at a rate 5 times higher than civilian women, DoD reports
21
12.5% of female undergraduates and 5.2% of male undergraduates experience nonconsensual sexual contact in a given academic year, AAU Campus Climate Survey
22
Indigenous women face sexual violence at rates 2.5 times higher than the national average, DOJ
23
In 2020, the victimization rate for rape/sexual assault was highest among persons ages 18-24 at 3.1 per 1,000, BJS
24
68% of sexual assaults occur between 6pm and 6am, per U.S. DOJ
25
Lifetime sexual violence victimization for bisexual women is 46.1%, compared to 20.4% for heterosexual women, CDC NISVS
26
In 2016, 13,000 children under 12 were victims of sexual assault, per NCMEC
27
The rate of reported rapes per 100,000 population was 42.6 in 2022, FBI UCR
28
21% of TGQN students experienced sexual assault in college, per Healthy Minds Study
29
From 2005-2010, sexual violence cost the U.S. $122 billion annually in direct costs, CDC
30
7.8% of high school students reported physical dating violence and 11.7% sexual dating violence in 2021, CDC YRBS
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidence Rates Interpretation
In the prevalence and incidence rates for U.S. sexual assault, victimization remains widespread while showing a major long-term decline, with the rate of rape or sexual assault dropping 64 percent from 5.0 to 1.8 victimizations per 1,000 people age 12 or older between 1993 and 2021, even though 17.0 per 1,000 females age 12 or older were victimized in 2021 and every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted.
More related reading
04 · Category
Reporting And Justice System27 stats
01
Only 310 out of 1,000 perpetrators are arrested, RAINN/BJS
02
Of reported sexual assaults, 5% lead to felony conviction, per RAINN
03
Less than 25% of sexual assaults are reported to police, BJS NCVS 2021
04
In 2019, 19% of sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement, up from 15% in prior years, BJS
05
Rape/sexual assault reporting rate to police is 31% for females, 15% for males, NCVS
06
994 perpetrators per 1,000 assaults are not jailed, RAINN
07
Conviction rate for campus sexual assaults is under 5%, per DOJ
08
58% of unreported assaults due to fear of reprisal, 40% believe police ineffective, BJS
09
In 2022, 42 states saw increases in rape reports post-#MeToo, but clearances dropped to 25%, FBI
10
Only 12% of child sexual abuse cases result in conviction, per NCMEC
11
80% of sexual assault cases lack physical evidence for prosecution, NIJ
12
False reporting rate for rape is 2-10%, same as other crimes, FBI/NIJ
13
35% of reported rapes lead to arrest, 18% to felony conviction, 5% incarceration over 5 years, BJS
14
Title IX complaints resolved in favor of complainant in 20% of cases, 39% for respondent, ED data
15
Backlog of untested rape kits: over 100,000 nationwide in 2016, now reduced but still 50k+, NIJ
16
Police clearance rate for rape was 21% in 2022, down from 30% in 2013, FBI UCR
17
67% of victims do not report due to fear of not being believed, NSVRC
18
Prosecutors decline 40% of sexual assault cases due to insufficient evidence, BJS
19
Incarceration rate: only 6 per 1,000 perpetrators serve over 5 years, RAINN
20
28 states mandate counseling for victims before reporting, affecting rates, Guttmacher
21
DNA exonerations: 375 of 3,500 total are for sexual assault (11%), Innocence Project
22
Reporting rates higher for stranger assaults (50%) vs known (20%), BJS NCVS
23
Military conviction rate for sexual assault is 11%, vs 35% civilian, DoD
24
75% of campus Title IX cases dismissed pre-hearing, per SAVE Services
25
Victim advocates present in only 20% of prosecutions, improving outcomes by 30%, NSVRC
26
Plea bargains in 70% of convicted sexual assault cases reduce charges, BJS
27
Only 3% of rapists serve full sentence, End Rape on Campus
Interpretation
Reporting And Justice System Interpretation
For the Reporting and Justice System, only about 25% of sexual assaults get reported and just 310 out of 1,000 perpetrators are arrested, with an even smaller 5% of reported cases resulting in felony convictions, showing that the justice pathway from report to serious outcome is extremely rare.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics24 stats
01
Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) in the U.S. have experienced completed rape, per 2011 CDC NISVS
02
Black or African American females experience rape at a rate of 22.0% lifetime prevalence, higher than white females at 18.8%, CDC NISVS
03
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse, per CDC
04
Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than those not in college, BJS
05
94% of LGBTQ youth report sexual harassment or abuse, GLSEN Survey
06
Hispanic women have a lifetime rape prevalence of 14.6%, per CDC NISVS 2016/17
07
34.6% of women with disabilities experience sexual violence in their lifetime, compared to 20.7% without, CDC
08
American Indian/Alaska Native women experience sexual violence at 34.1% lifetime rate, CDC
09
51.1% of female victims of sexual violence report their first attempt before age 18, RAINN/CDC
10
Transgender women face sexual assault rates up to 86% lifetime, NCTE
11
Rural women experience higher rates of sexual violence (23%) vs urban (20%), CDC Rural Health
12
42% of sexual assault victims are under 18 years old, NSVRC
13
Multiracial women have the highest lifetime rape prevalence at 31.9%, CDC NISVS
14
1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before age 18, Darkness to Light
15
Female veterans report sexual assault at 1 in 4 rate during service, VA
16
79.6% of bisexual women experienced sexual violence, CDC
17
Asian/Pacific Islander women have 12.7% lifetime sexual violence rate, CDC NISVS
18
60% of female inmates report prior sexual abuse, BJS Prison Rape Elimination Act
19
Lesbian women experience sexual violence at 13.1% made to penetrate rate, CDC
20
2.6 million girls receive unwanted sexual contact annually, Thorn.org
21
White females have 18.8% lifetime rape victimization, CDC
22
27% of female military personnel experienced unwanted sexual contact 2018-2021, DoD SAPRO
23
Low-income women (<$25k/year) have 25% higher sexual assault rates, CDC
24
90% of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator, Crimes Against Children Research Center
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Victim Demographics in the United States show stark differences across groups, with nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) reporting completed rape, higher lifetime prevalence among Black women (22.0%) than white women (18.8%), and college women ages 18 to 24 facing 3 times the risk of sexual assault compared with non college women.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). United States Sexual Assault Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-sexual-assault-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "United States Sexual Assault Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/united-states-sexual-assault-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "United States Sexual Assault Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-sexual-assault-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level