Every 98 seconds someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. That means every single day more than 570 people experience sexual violence in this country.
Sexual violence permeates our culture, from violent rape scenes on hit TV shows to sexist dress codes that reinforce rape culture; from famous athletes telling young girls they’re “supposed to be silent,” to near-daily stories of sexual assaults on college campuses; from a former Olympic doctor accused of sexually abusing more than 100 women, to a President of The United States who has been publicly accused of sexually assaulting more than 15 women and was recorded boasting that he grabs women “by the pussy.”
All of these examples create a culture that reinforces the normalization of sexual violence.
Since the first step toward preventing sexual violence is understanding the reality of it, we’ve rounded up 30 statistics that show just how insidious it is for National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Sexual violence is a problem that is deeply rooted in our culture, and these numbers prove that.
The estimated number of women who have been the victims of rape since 1998.
The percentage of perpetrators of sexual violence that will walk free.
The percentage of female rape survivors who will attempt suicide.
The percentage of trans people who will experience sexual assault in their lifetimes.
The total amount of money rape costs victims every year in the U.S., excluding child sexual abuse.
The age range that women are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. Female college students ages 18-24 are three times more likely than women in the general population to experience sexual violence.
The fraction of American women who have survived an attempted or completed rape in their lifetimes.
The amount of times trans people of color are more likely to experience sexual violence than the general population.
The percentage of men who will be raped in their lifetime.
The percentage of adult rape victims that are female.
The average number of victims of rape and sexual assault per year in the U.S.
The estimated number of inmates who experience sexual violence in prison or jail every year.
The percentage of instances of sexual violence experienced by inmates that are perpetrated by jail or prison staff.
The number of times a person with a disability is more likely to be a victim of sexual assault or rape than a person without a disability.
The percentage of sexual contact between inmates and prison guards that is illegal and, therefore, non-consensual.
The estimated lifetime income that a survivor of sexual violence who was abused as an adolescent loses.
The amount of money it costs to get a rape kit tested. According to the Violence Against Women Act, a survivor should never have to pay for their own rape kit, but many states have loopholes that force survivors to do just that.
The age range in which people are most likely to be sexually assaulted.
The percentage of trans or gender nonconforming students who report being sexually assaulted while attending college.
The percentage of bisexual women who report being raped in their lifetime.
The number of military service people who experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2014.
The fraction of military service members who experienced an assault at the hands of someone in their chain of command.
The estimated number of men who have experienced an attempted or completed rape since 1998.
The average number of Native Americans 12 years and older who report being sexually assaulted each year.
The percentage of women who experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks directly after being raped.
The fraction of rapes committed by someone the victim knows.
The percentage of sexual violence perpetrators that are white.
The percentage of child sexual abuse perpetrators who know their victim.
The percentage of false rape reports.
The amount of money sexual violence and abuse cost the U.S. in 2008 alone.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
