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According to the statistic gathered by the Rape, Abuse, Incest and National Network (RAINN)

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).1

17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.1

9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003.2

While about 80% of all victims are white, minorities are somewhat more likely to be attacked.

Lifetime rate of rape /attempted rape for women by race:1

•All women: 17.6%

•White women: 17.7%

•Black women: 18.8%

•Asian Pacific Islander women: 6.8%

•American Indian/Alaskan women: 34.1%

•Mixed race women: 24.4%

Men

About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.1

•In 2003, 1 in every ten rape victims were male.2

•2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.1

Children

15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12.3

•29% are age 12-17.

•44% are under age 18.3

•80% are under age 30.3

•12-34 are the highest risk years.

• Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused.4

•3% of boys grades 5-8 and 5% of boys in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused.

In 1995, local child protection service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse.5

•Of these, 75% were girls.

•Nearly 30% of child victims were between the age of 4 and 7.

93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker.6

•34.2% of attackers were family members.

•58.7% were acquaintances.

•Only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim.

Effects of Rape

Victims of sexual assault are: 7

3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

Pregnancies Resulting from Rape

In 2004-2005, 64,080 women were raped.8 According to medical reports; the incidence of pregnancy for one-time unprotected sexual intercourse is 5%. By applying the pregnancy rate to 64,080 women, RAINN estimates that there were 3,204 pregnancies as a result of rape during that period.

This calculation does not account for the following factors which could lower the actual number of pregnancies:

•Rape, as defined by the NCVS, is forced sexual intercourse. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, oral, or anal penetration by offender(s). This category includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Certain types of rape under this definition cannot cause pregnancy.

•Some victims of rape may be utilizing birth control methods, such as the pill, which will prevent pregnancy.

•Some rapists may wear condoms in an effort to avoid DNA detection.

•Victims of rape may not be able to become pregnant for medical or age-related reasons.

This calculation does not account for the following factors which could raise the actual number of pregnancies:

•Medical estimates of a 5% pregnancy rate are for one-time, unprotected sexual intercourse. Some victimization may include multiple incidents of intercourse.

•Because of methodology, NCVS does not measure the victimization of Americans age 12 or younger. Rapes of these young people could results in pregnancies not accounted for in RAINN's estimates.

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References

1. National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence against Women Survey. 1998.

2. U.S. Department of Justice. 2003 National Crime Victimization Survey. 2003.

3.U.S. Department of Justice. 2004 National Crime Victimization Survey. 2004.

4.1998 Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Girls. 1998.

5. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. 1995 Child Maltreatment Survey. 1995.

6. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2000 Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement. 2000.

7. World Health Organization. 2002.

8. U.S. Department of Justice. 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey. 2005.

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Get Help

Seek help via the National Sexual Assault Hotlines.

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Learn more about sexual assault.

National Sexual Assault Hotline | 1.800.656.HOPE(4673) | Free. Confidential. 24/7.

Male Sexual Assault

Men and boys are also the victims of the crimes of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and rape. In fact, in the U.S., over 10% of all victims are male.2

Male survivors and others affected by sexual violence can receive free, confidential, live help through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotlines, 24/7. Call 1.800.656.HOPE to be connected to a local rape crisis center in your area, or visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline to get live help in an instant messaging format.

Stereotypes and Myths

There are various stereotypes and myths that impact male survivors' ability to face their sexual assault. These include:

•Men are immune to victimization.

•Men should be able to fight off attacks.

•Men shouldn't express emotion.

•Men enjoy all sex, so they must have enjoyed the assault.

•Male survivors are more likely to become sexual predators.

These stereotypes and myths can then lead to certain results for male victims of sexual assault, including:

•Dramatic loss of self-esteem

•Belief in their masculinity

•Self-blame

•Feelings of shame, guilt, anger

•Feelings of powerlessness, apprehension, withdrawal, and embarrassment

•Fears that they won't be able to protect and support their families

•Sexual difficulties

•Self-destructive behavior (drinking, drug use, aggression)

•Intimacy issues

•Questioning of sexual identity

Barriers

Male survivors of sexual assault also may experience certain barriers to seeking support or services, either from friends and family or from organizations and institutions.

Immigrants and domestic violence:

A recent study in New York City found that 51 percent of intimate partner homicide victims were foreign-born, while 45 percent were born in the United States.

There is no way to tell for sure if someone is experiencing domestic violence. Those who are battered, and those who abuse, come in all genders, shapes, sizes, colors, economic classes, sexual orientations and personality types. Victims are not always passive with low self-esteem, and batterers do not always exhibit frequent violent or hateful behavior to their partners, especially in front of others. Most people experiencing relationship violence do not tell others what goes on at home. So how do you tell? Look for the signs:

Physical effects:

Domestic violence has wide ranging and sometimes long-term effects on victims. These effects can be both physical and psychological, and can directly impact the victim, as well as any child who witnesses the violence.

The Esteria Woods International Outreach Foundation (EWIOF) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with chapters in both North Carolina and Liberia (West Africa). Our organization provides services to underprivileged communities. We represent an organization dedicated to improving the human condition, particularly as it affects sexual abuse victims and survivors. EWIOF also provides services, resources, advocacy and raises socio-economic awareness.

Mission Statement

The Esteria Woods International Outreach Foundation (EWIOF) is a 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization that was founded with the mission to fight poverty, injustice, inequality and any and all forms of abuse. EWIOF hope to achieve this mission by instituting programs that will educate and empower women and children by developing their leadership skills and self-confidence. EWIOF affirms to the belief that knowledge is power, and so by impacting knowledge to the youths, a household, a community, and even a nation can be transformed for the betterment of the society. EWIOF also believes that every child has the right to live in a nurturing and safe environment that is free from abuse.

Vision

EWIOF is encouraged to improve the quality of life for African women and children living in North Carolina and Africa, by providing them with the quality of training, services and resources that are needed to develop their capabilities to become road models in their respective communities. EWIOF is determined to continue to fight for the rights of children by raising awareness of issues pertaining to child slavery, as well as physical and mental abuses.

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