29% of all rape victims are between the ages of 18 - 24.
43% of college-aged men admitted using coercive behavior to have sex, including ignoring a women's protest and/or
using physical aggression.
84% of sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim.
Risk factors for perpetrating sexual violence include: early sexual experience (both forced and voluntary); adherence
by men to sex role stereotyping; negative attitudes of men towards women; alcohol consumption; and acceptance of
rape myths by men
13.3% of college women indicated that they had been forced to have sex in a dating situation.
Non-genital physical injuries occur in approximately 40% of completed rape cases. As many as 3% of all rape
cases have non-genital injuries requiring overnight hospitalization.
Victims of sexual assault develop a post-traumatic stress syndrome that has been referred to as Rape Trauma
Syndrome. Symptoms can include fear, helplessness, shock and disbelief, guilt, humiliation, embarrassment, anger,
self-blame, flashbacks of the rape, avoidance of the place or circumstance in which the rape occurred, depression,
sexual dysfunction, insomnia, and impaired memory.
Estimates of the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases resulting from rape range from 3.6% to 30%. HIV
transmission risk rate from rape is estimated at 1 in 500.
Only 22% of rape victims were assaulted by someone they had never seen before of did not know well; 9% of
victims were raped by husbands or ex-boyfriends; 11% by their fathers or stepfathers; 10% by boyfriends or
ex-boyfriends; 16% by other relatives; and 29% by other non-relatives, such as friends and neighbors.
Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to police; 50% of surveyed rape victims said that they would be a lot more
likely and 16% would be somewhat more likely to report rapes to police if there was a law prohibiting the news
media from disclosing their names and addresses
American women are forcibly raped on the average of 1.3 rapes each minute; 78 each hour; 1,871 each day; 56,916
each month; and 683,000 each year. When the number of female children and males assaulted during that same
period are added, it is likely that well over twice that many Americans were sexually assaulted.
Is DATE RAPE a Problem?
Whether you are male or female, date or acquaintance rape is a problem for all of society. It effects everyone! You
may think that this is not a problem that affects you personally, but the reality is that one out of three women have
been sexually assaulted, have been the victim of an attempted sexual assault, have been or will be sexually harassed
in their lifetime. One-quarter of college age women have experienced a rape or an attempted rape. National statistics
show that one out of seven boys have been sexually abused before age 18. These astounding statistics account for
80% of these victims being sexually assaulted by someone they know.
Setting Limits & Boundaries
Do you have limits or boundaries for yourself and your personal space where sexual activity is concerned? If not,
the following information may assist you in setting limits and boundaries for yourself:
Think about whether you really want to have sex with someone who doesn't want to have sex with you. How will
you feel afterwards if your date tells you they didn't want to have sex?
If you are getting a double message from your date, speak up and ask what they want. If you find yourself in a
situation with a person who is unsure about whether they want to have sex or they are saying "NO", stop and
think about what's happening. Talk about the situation.
Be sensitive to anyone who is unsure whether they want to have sex. If you pressure them, you might be "forcing"
them, which could result in a criminal act according to the legal statutes.
Do not assume you both want the same degree of intimacy. There are several kinds of non-sexual activity you
might mutually agree to share.
Stay in touch with your sexual desires honestly. Ask yourself if you are really hearing what the other person
wants. Do not let your desires control your actions.
Communicate your sexual desires honestly and as early as possible.
Do not assume the other person's desire for affection is the same as a desire for sex.
A person who turns you down for sex is not rejecting you as a person. They are expressing their right not to
participate in a single act at that particular time.
No one asks to be raped. Regardless of how a person behaves or dresses, they do not deserve to have their body
used in ways they do not want.
The fact that you are intoxicated is not a legal defense to rape. You are responsible for your actions, whether you
are drunk or sober, if you are forcing someone to engage in sexual activity against their will and without their
consent.
If you have a sexual activity with someone who is incapable of giving consent because they are unconscious or
unable to resist due to drugs or alcohol, you are committing a sexual assault.
Be aware that a person's physical appearance can be intimidating to a date. Many victims report that the fear they
felt based on the offender's physical size and presence was the reason they could not fight back or resist.
Even if someone decides not to fight back and complies with the demands of a rapist...
IT IS STILL A SEXUAL ASSAULT!
