Sexual Assault Statistics 2024 – By Demographic, Global Rate, Location, Workplace and Rapist

Introduction

Sexual assault Statistics: sexual assault statistics provide crucial insights into understanding the prevalence and impact of this societal issue. With alarming figures revealing that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence during their lifetime, the scope of the problem becomes starkly evident. Moreover, studies indicate that the economic cost of sexual violence in the United States alone amounts to approximately USD 122 billion annually. These statistics underscore the urgent need to address sexual assault and its far-reaching consequences.

By examining demographic trends, reporting rates, and survivor experiences, we can gain valuable insights into the dynamics of sexual violence and its impact on individuals and communities. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of sexual assault empowers us to develop targeted interventions, support services, and prevention strategies to combat this pervasive issue effectively.

In an era where advocacy for survivors' rights and awareness campaigns are gaining momentum, analyzing sexual assault statistics becomes instrumental in shaping policy initiatives, driving social change, and fostering a safer and more inclusive society. By leveraging data-driven insights, we can work towards creating a future where sexual violence is eradicated, and all individuals can live free from fear and harm.

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• The estimated lifetime cost of rape for every victim is approximately USD 122,461.
• Indigenous women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than non-indigenous women.
• In the United States of America, 1 in 33 men experienced attempted or completed rape.
• Around the world, sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes.
• Every 2 minutes, a woman is raped in the United States of America.
• According to sexual assault statistics, 3 out of 4 harassment cases go unreported at the workplace.
• Victims are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.
• On a worldwide level, 15 million girls aged between 15 to 19 experienced forced sex or rape.
• Considering the lifetime case of rape, 10% of the victims are men.
• Only 5% of sexual assault reports filed have been proven false.
• 82% of all juvenile sexual assault victims are female.
• 90% of adult rape victims are female.
• 41% of sexual assaults against Native Indians are committed by a stranger.
• Adolescents aged 14‐17 were the most likely to be sexually victimized; nearly 1 in 6 were sexually victimized in the past year.
• 50% of women and 30% of men have experienced sexual violence.
• The highest risk years for sexual violence are between ages 12 and 34.
• Most sexual assault victims personally know their attackers.
• Membership in college fraternities and sororities significantly increases the chance of being involved in a sexual assault.
• In 2019, sexual violence impacted over 40% of American women over their lifetimes.
• 298,628 women were sexually assaulted or raped in 2020, according to statistics in the United States.
• Only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement.
• 60% of sexual assaults against inmates are committed by prison or jail staff.
• 31% of women who were sexually assaulted were stalked by their former or current partner or husband or ex-husband.
• 43% of men and 81% of women have experienced some type of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.
• Sexual violence is a costly crime related to medical, criminal justice, loss of productivity, and other costs.
• 80% of sexual violence cases are committed by a person the victim knows.
• In 2019, sexual violence cases cost the American people trillions of dollars.

Facts About Sexual Assault

• Sexual assault impacts over 40% of American women in their lifetimes.
• In the United States, approximately 298,628 women were sexually assaulted or raped in 2020.
• Only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement.
• Adolescents aged 14‐17 are the most likely to be sexually victimized, with nearly 1 in 6 experiencing sexual assault.
• 50% of women and 30% of men have experienced sexual violence.
• Victims of sexual assault are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.
• Indigenous women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than non-indigenous women.
• 82% of all juvenile sexual assault victims are female.
• 90% of adult rape victims are female.
• 41% of sexual assaults against Native Indians are committed by a stranger.
• Membership in college fraternities and sororities significantly increases the chance of being involved in a sexual assault.
• 60% of sexual assaults against inmates are committed by prison or jail staff.
• 31% of women who were sexually assaulted were stalked by their former or current partner or husband or ex-husband.
• 43% of men and 81% of women have experienced some type of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.
• Sexual violence is a costly crime, impacting medical, criminal justice, and productivity costs.
• 80% of sexual violence cases are committed by someone known to the victim.

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What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is any type of unwanted or forced sexual contact or behavior that occurs without consent. Sexual assault / physical assault/ sexual violence includes child sexual abuse, attempted, or completed rape, penetration, intimate partner sexual violence, sex trafficking, fondling or unwanted touching, and sexual exploitation.

Measures to prevent sexual assault

• This is a very biased but basic factor to prevent sexual assault – don’t wear too revealing clothes. Some things kept private are always better off.
• Avoid getting friendly to drunk people as well as strangers.
• Sharing private information on social media networks can cause unwanted actions.
• Being responsible while leaving the home or even while being at the home is important.
• To be honest, dating apps are causing sexual assaults to increase. Rather be friends with the people you trust.
• Don’t let any stranger use your phone or enter your house.
• Don’t react to any fraudulent and obscene messages or video calls, just cut it.
• And educate children about gender equality and respective measures.

General Sexual Assault Statistics

• In the United States of America, every 2 minutes a woman is raped.
• 1 in 6 women and 1 out of 33 men have at some point experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
• Around the world, sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes.
• In the United States of America, 23% of female enrolled students have experienced sexual assault.
• On a worldwide level, 15 million girls aged between 15 years to 19 years experienced forced sex or rape.
• Indigenous women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than non-indigenous women.
• Women with disabilities are 2 times more likely to face sexual violence than non-disabled women.
• It is a myth that rape can’t happen between husband and wife. Rather, the act must be carried out on a consent basis.
• The estimated lifetime cost of rape for every victim is $122,461.
• 75% of rape cases are never reported to the police.
• 70% of sexual assaults happen in residential places of victims.
• Around the world, sexual harassment cases increased in cases of work from home for women resulting in 23%.
• Girls and women between 12 years to 34 years old are at the highest risk of being sexually harassed.
• 80% of the rapes are performed by the victim’s acquaintance
• According to Sexual assault statistics, the rate of false rape cases in the United States of America is 10%.
• The majority of victims of rape are women.
• Women are at risk of 54% of sexual harassment.
• As of result of rape, victims are more likely to get addicted to rape than the general public, further resulting in 10 times more use of major drugs, 6 times more use of cocaine, and 3.4 times more use of marijuana.
• 1 out of 10 women experiences marital rape.
• 7 out of 10 rapes are committed by the victim’s acquainted persons.

Sexual Assault Statistics By Demographic

By Ethnic background

Women

• 8% of women who got raped were Asian or Pacific Islanders by ethnic background.
• 6% were Hispanic women victims, and 18.8% were African-American women.
• 4% of women belonged to mixed ethnic backgrounds and 34.1% of women were American Indian or Alaskan native women.
• Bisexual women are at the highest risk of sexual violence than straight women.

Men

• 8% of men who were raped were white by ethnic background.
• 3% were African- American and 4.4% reported having mixed ethnic backgrounds.

By children

• 1 out of 5 girls and 1 out of 20 boys become victims of child sexual violence.
• Children aged between 7 years to 13 years are at a high risk of sexual harassment.
• On the lifetime average, children in the United States of America aged 14 years to 17 years have already become a victims.

By Age

(Source: abetterwaymuncie.org)

• Individuals, mainly women aged between 18 years to 34 years are at a high risk of rape resulting in 54%.
• Girls aged between 12 years to 17 years have a 15% risk of sexual assault.
• 28% of the risk is experienced by women and men between the age of 35 years to 64 years.
• Women 65 years and above have a 3% risk of getting sexually harassed.

By Gender

• In the United States of America, 1 in 33 men experienced attempted or completed rape.
• As per the sexual assault statistics, considering the lifetime case of rape, 10% of the victims are men.
• 9 out of 10 victims are females.
• 1 in 6 American women experienced attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

Sexual Assault Statistics By Global Rate

• The following chart shows the different rates of rapes happening around the world.

(Source: wisevoter.com)

Sexual Assault Statistics By Country

Countries with Highest Rape Rates

(Source: wisevoter.com)

• Unfortunately, As of 2022, Botswana has the highest rape rate resulting in 96.87%.
• Lesotho and Grenada ranked second and third for recording around 89.29% and 88.87% respective rape rates.
• Other unfortunate names of countries in the list are Sweden (87.97%), Eswatini (82.97%), South Africa (70.22%), Saint Kitts and Nevis (56.4%), Panama (53.98%), Iceland (46.3%) and Suriname (43.3%).

Countries with Highest Rape Rates

(Source: wisevoter.com)

• Oman and Bermuda are two of the countries with the lowest rate of rapes as of 2022 resulting in 0 respectively.
• Saudi Arabia recorded 0.09% of cases of sexual assault in the year 2022.
• Other countries in the list of lowest rape rates are Egypt (0.12%), Azerbaijan (0.15%), Syria (0.17%), Mozambique (0.19%), Palestine (0.25%), Tajikistan (0.36%) and Nigeria (0.47%).

Sexual Assault Statistics By State

By Highest Sexual Assault Rate

(Reference: worldpopulationreview.com)

• In the United States of America, Alaska has the highest rate of rape cases per 100K as per the Sexual assault Statistics resulting in 147% for 1,088.
• Arkansas and Michigan have also ranked in the list of the highest number of rape cases by state in 2022, resulting in 77% and 71% out of 2,331 and 7,235 respectively.
• Other states with the highest number of rapes as of 2022 are South Dakota at 71% (642), Nevada at 67% (2,161), Colorado at 65% (3,872), Nebraska at 63% (1,253), New Mexico at 60% (1,288), Oklahoma 56% (2,268) and Montana 56% (624).

By Lowest Sexual Assault Rate

(Reference: worldpopulationreview.com)

• According to the Sexual assault statistics, Iowa had the lowest rate of rapes for every 100K people including both genders. The state recorded 4% rapes resulting in 116.
• New Jersey and Connecticut reported around 16% and 21% rapes resulting in 1,531 and 771.
• Other states in the United States of America recorded the following number of rapes being the lowest: Mississippi 25% (747), Georgia 27% (2,922), North Carolina 30% (3,247), Maryland 30% (1,913), Delaware 30% (310), Massachusetts 31% (2,204), Virginia 32% (2,816), and New York 32% (6,583).

Sexual Assault Statistics By a Rapist

• 2% and 6.2% of individuals who raped other individuals were either widowed or separated.
• 1% rapists were married and 28.5% were divorced.
• 42% of the rapist were never married.
• 5% of the rapist were arrested for a recurring act of rape.
• Furthermore, sexual assault statistics say that 87% of rapists use physical force to perform the act of rape, 4% of them used a knife and 2% used any form of a firearm or harmful weapon.
• Only 2% rapist of all cases are convicted.

Who committed sexual assault?

(Reference: abetterwaymuncie.org)

• 45% of rapes were performed by an acquittance and 28% were committed by a stranger.
• 25% of rapes were committed by a former spouse or intimate partner.
• 6% and 1% of rapes were performed by more than 1 person or the victim can’t remember and a non-spouse relative.

(Reference: abetterwaymuncie.org)

• Furthermore, 59% of rapists were in acquaintance with juvenile victims.
• 34% of the rapist were part of the juvenile victim’s family.
• And only 7% of rapists were strangers to the underage victim.

By Workplace

• According to sexual assault statistics, 3 out of 4 harassment cases go unreported at the workplace.
• 71% of the female worker in restaurants have been sexually harassed at least once in their duration of employment in the restaurant.
• 81% of women and 43% of men reported some type of assault or harassment at their workplace.
• According to Sexual assault statistics, 1 out of 17 men and 1 out of 7 women changed their jobs after harassment.
• Around 58% of the women, who were sexually harassed at the workplace didn’t report a complaint.
• 39% of employees are not confident that their cases will be addressed.
• Unfortunately, 37% of the female employees who filed cases of sexual harassment, had negative impacts on their careers.

By Aftereffects

• 5% of the victims experience major injuries such as broken bones or gunshot wounds.
• 33% of the victims experience minor injuries such as bruises or broken teeth.
• 61% of victims experience uncleared injuries.
• Sexual assault statistics say that the victims are 3 times and 6 times more likely to suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder respectively.
• Unfortunately, victims are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide.

By Receiving Medical Care

• 17% of the victims take the help of physical therapy services and dental services respectively.
• 19% of sexual violence victims need ambulance or paramedic services.
• 55% require physicians.
• And 82% require hospital services.

By Time

• 24% of sexual violence happens from midnight to 6 am.
• 33% of rape cases (attempted/ completed) happen from 6 am to 6 pm.
• 43% happen from 6 pm to midnight.

Sexual Assault Statistics By Type

(Reference: Screen & Reveal)

• Around 81% of women and 43% of men faced any sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime, resulting in 62% for both genders.
• As per the sexual assault statistics, 77% of women and 34% of men faced verbal sexual assault resulting in 55.5% in total.
• The reported total number of cyber sexual harassment is 31.5%, out of these 41% of women and 22% of men experienced the issues.
• The total reported numbers of physically aggressive sexual harassment and sexual assault are 44% and 17% respectively.
• Out of these, 62% of women and 26% of men faced physical sexual violence and 27% of women and 7% of men experienced sexual assault.

Among Women

• Among women, making unwanted noises by mouth has the highest rate in reported sexual assault cases resulting in 65%.

(Source: Screen & Reveal)

Among Men

• The following are the most commonly reported reasons experienced by men during a sexual assault.
• Calling a man by different unethical names is the most common reason for sexual assault among men resulting in 17%.

(Source: Screen & Reveal)

By Location

• 55% of the sexual assault cases occurred at or near the victim’s house.
• 15% happened in open public areas and 12% happened at or near a relative’s home.
• 10% rapes occurred in closed areas such as garages or parking lots.
• 8% rapes took place on school property.

Trends In Sexual Assault

• Under-reporting: Sexual assault continues to be one of the most under-reported crimes globally.
• Increased Awareness: There is a growing awareness about sexual assault, leading to more victims coming forward to report incidents.
• Youth Vulnerability: Adolescents aged 14‐17 are identified as the most vulnerable group to sexual victimization, indicating a need for targeted prevention efforts.
• Prevalence: Despite efforts to address sexual assault, the prevalence remains high, with approximately 50% of women and 30% of men experiencing sexual violence.
• Cost of Crime: Sexual violence is recognized as a costly crime, with significant economic implications related to medical expenses, criminal justice proceedings, and lost productivity.
• Perpetrator Identification: Research shows that a significant portion of sexual assaults are committed by individuals known to the victim, highlighting the importance of addressing acquaintance rape and intimate partner violence.
• Impact on Mental Health: Victims of sexual assault are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, indicating a need for comprehensive support services.
• Cultural Factors: Cultural and societal norms contribute to the perpetuation of sexual assault, emphasizing the importance of addressing root causes and promoting cultural change.
• Technological Impacts: The rise of technology has introduced new forms of sexual harassment and assault, such as cyberstalking and online grooming, necessitating adaptations in prevention and intervention strategies.

Recent Development in Sexual Assault

• Legislative Changes: Recent legislative developments have focused on enhancing laws and policies related to sexual assault, aimed at providing better protection and support for victims.
• Technology-Based Solutions: There is an increase in the use of technology-based solutions, such as apps and online reporting platforms, to facilitate reporting and support services for victims of sexual assault.
• Organizational Initiatives: Organizations and institutions are implementing new initiatives and programs to prevent sexual assault and support survivors, including bystander intervention training and awareness campaigns.
• Data Collection Efforts: Efforts to improve data collection on sexual assault incidents are underway, enabling better tracking of trends and patterns to inform prevention and intervention strategies.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: There has been a surge in public awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts to raise awareness about sexual assault, challenge societal norms, and promote a culture of consent and respect.
• Research and Studies: Ongoing research and studies are being conducted to better understand the underlying factors contributing to sexual assault and to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs.

Conclusion

Concluding the sexual assault statistics, Rape, sexual violence, and sexual assaults are the most shameful activities happening in every country. Unfortunately, in the advanced world, irrespective of gender, people are still going through these problems. If we say, we live in a culturally rich society, then these activities are not even supposed to happen.

Today, men and women are living with equal respect in society, but yet larger number of women and many men fall prey to sexual harassment. The world should be perfect enough for every boy, girl, woman, man, and middle-aged or old-aged individual to feel safe wandering the streets of their hometown, walking down to work, parties, offices, and school, and coming back home safely!

Ketaki Joshi

By conducting scientific research, I write about illness, health and healthcare. As a professional medical writer, my experience includes creating feature articles for newsletters and websites as well as research news stories for doctors and researchers. Reading has been an integral part of me since childhood - I'm fan of "Friends" and the "Harry Potter series". Before this career, I was employed by a French multinational company. However, my passion for reading led me to pursue writing professionally; my first Amazon-published short story entitled "The envelope that changed our lives" has recently been released. In my free moments, I enjoy long bike rides around town.

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