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Get Educated: Sexual Assault

The terms "Sexual Assault" and "Rape" are often used interchangeably and deciphering between the two often leads to confusion. Although the majority of rapes are perpetrated by males against females as acts of vaginal, anal or oral penetration, the term "sexual assault" refers to a range of sexually violent acts including rape. Any form of sexual assault, including but not limited to rape, are considered serious crimes. 

Definitions | Statistics on Campuses | Statistics in Texas | Statistics Nationwide

Definitions

Sexual Assault
Any sexual act perpetrated against another person's will, forcibly or through coercive actions, or not forcibly or against the person's will but where the victim is incapable of giving full consent (they are unconscious - drug or alcohol induced, they have a mental impairment, etc). Sexual assault includes forced physical contact of an intimate part of the body that is sexual in nature. This may include the unwanted touching, directly on skin or through clothing, of an intimate part of another person which includes the genitalia area or sexual organs, the groin, the buttocks and/or the breasts with one's body or with an object for the purpose of arousing or gratifying one's own sexual desire or for the purpose of causing physical or emotional harm. Forced contact may include physical violence, physical coercion or manipulation, threat of physical harm or injury, or the intentional use of substances including alcohol, the use of GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine or other "date rape" drugs, to create a defenseless victim.

Rape
Any act of forced sexual intercourse requiring penetration of the genitals, anus or mouth, however slight, that is perpetrated against a person's will by means of force, violence, coercion, duress, menace, the fear of immediate physical harm, or through manipulation. Rape may include the non-consensual penetration of the genitals, anus or mouth of one by the genitals or fingers of another, or by an instrument used by another person. This may include vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse (sodomy), oral sex, or non-consensual sexual penetration of genital or anal openings by a foreign object, including a finger. Non-consensual sexual intercourse may take many forms including, but not limited to, rape by a stranger, an acquaintance, friend, classmate, boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, husband, while on a date, rape by multiple perpetrators (often referred to as "gang rape") and may occur both on and off campus

Acquaintance Rape
Any act of sexual intercourse (requiring penetration, however slight, of the genitals, anus, or mouth of one by the genitals or fingers of another, or by an instrument used by another person) occurring against a person's will by means of force, violence, duress, or fear of bodily injury. Often these sexual acts are accomplished through the use of coercive actions including manipulation, pressuring, alcohol or date rape drugs. These sexual activities are perpetrated by someone the victim knows such as a friend, date, acquaintance, or classmate. According to RAINN (2007) there are three stages of acquaintance rape

Three Stages of Acquaintance Rape

1.       Intrusion- Includes violations of the victim's personal space and level of comfort through "accidental" touching, inappropriate stares or through unsolicited personal revelations

2.       Desensitization- The victim no longer feels threatened or uncomfortable with the offender. The victim discounts any feelings of discomfort he/she may still have and dismisses feelings of uneasiness as unwarranted

3.       Isolation- The offender uses victim's trust to isolate him/her from others.

Date Rape
Is a form of acquaintance rape and is defined as forced sexual penetration, however slight which is perpetrated by someone you know and usually occurs in a date-type setting. Often times, date rapes are perpetrated through manipulation or coercive acts and involve the use of alcohol or drugs

Stranger Rape
Defined as forced sexual penetration, however, slight perpetrated by someone who is unknown to you. Often times, stranger rapes involve the use of force or threat of force and the presence of a weapon

Gang Rape
Defined as forced sexual intercourse (including vaginal, anal or oral penetration, however slight) by a body part or an object of another person, usually perpetrated by more than one, including multiple assailants

Same-Sex Rape
Defined as forced sexual intercourse (including vaginal, anal or oral penetration, however slight) by a body part or an object of another person by someone of the same sex

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Sexual Assaults on College Campuses

"College campuses host large concentrations of young women who are at greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women in the general population or in a comparable age group." (NIJ, 2000)

Overview

  • Young women 16-24 years of age are 4 times more likely to experience a completed rape when compares to any other age group (Rennison, 2001)
  • Women are at greatest risk of sexual assault during their first 3 months on campus
  • For a campus with 10,000 women (UTA has over 10,000 females) the number of rapes could exceed 350 per year (Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000)

Prevalence and Incidence

  • 1 in 4 college women will be sexually assaulted during their educational career
  • 90% of sexual assault victims are female and 10% are male
  • Every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted (RAINN, 2007)
  • 60% of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships (Johnson & Sigler 1996)

When & Where do Most Sexual Assaults Occur?

  • The majority of sexual assaults (52%) take place after Midnight, although 36.5% of rapes take place between 6pm and Midnight (Fisher et al,.2000)
  • The majority of sexual assaults occur in living quarters. 60% took place in the victim's residence and 10% took place in Fraternity houses (BJS, 2000)
  • Individuals living off-campus report higher rates of sexual assault than those living on campus (BJS, 2000)
  • 90% of all campus sexual assaults involve the use of alcohol (USDOJ)

Victims

  • 9 out of 10 sexual assault victims knows their attackers (USDOJ, 2000)
  • A sexual assault victim is most likely to be assaulted by a classmate or friend
  • Less than 50% of women that have been raped define that experience as an actual rape (Fisher et al., 2000)
  • Less than 5% of students report sexual assaults/rapes to the police (BJS, 2000)
  • 2/3 of sexual assault victims tell at least one person, most often a friend (Fisher et al, 2000)
  • Victims who have been sexually assaulted previously are at the greatest risk for future victimization

Victims with Disabilities

  • Women with disabilities were 4 times more likely to experience sexual assault than those without disabilities (Martin, 2006)
  • Overall, people with disabilities are twice as likely as those without disabilities to experience violence and abuse in their lifetimes (Sobsey & Doe, 1991)
  • 83% of women with disabilities experience some form of sexual victimization in their lifetimes (Sigler, 2000)
  • 32% of males with disabilities experience some form of sexual victimization in their lifetimes (Sigler, 2000)
  • Research suggests that 97 to 99 percent of abusers are known and trusted by the victim who has developmental disabilities (Baladerian, 1991)

Medical Statistics Related to Sexual Assault

  • 20% of women report physical injuries from a sexual assault/rape or attempted sexual assault/rape (BJS, 2000)
  • Risk of pregnancy following a sexual assault is less than 10%
  • As many as 30% of sexual assault victims may contract an STD or STI (Murphy, et. al, 1990)
  • The transmission rate of HIV from a heterosexual sexual assault is1 in 500 (Gostin, et. al, 1994)
  • Rape is the costliest crime in the US exacting $86,500 in tangible and intangible costs per victim (NIJ, 2000)

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Sexual Assault in Texas

  • 1 in 5 women report being the victim of a sexual assault (TAASA, 2007)
  • 1 in 20 men report being the victim of sexual assault (TAASA, 2007)
  • Around 20% of all rapes are reported to the police (TAASA, 2007)
  • Over 75% of sexual assault incidents involve the use of alcohol and/or drugs

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Sexual Assault Nationwide

  • About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30 (RAINN, 2007)
  • According to the NVC, there may be 683,000 completed rapes each year in the US
  • 90% of rape/sexual assault victims are female (USDOJ)
  • 10% of rape/sexual assault victims are male (USDOJ)
  • Over 75% of victims knew their attacker (USDOJ)

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