DOJ reports on rape and sexual assault

By Julia Laughlin
Dec. 11, 2015 12:01 a.m.
A new report by the Department of Justice analyzes recent, reliable data about
rape and sexual assault in the United States.

DOJ reports rape and sexual assault statistics

A report titled Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call To Action, examines
recent, reliable data and identifies those who are most at risk of these crimes, the
cost of the crimes to the survivors and the communities and the responses of the
criminal justice system. The report details a statistical breakdown of the data
collected.
The problem
The most common victims of rape and sexual assault are women and the majority
of perpetrators are male, about 98 percent. The report shows:

Nearly 1 in 5 women in the United States survived rape in their lifetime.

Most victims know their perpetrators.
Stranger rape accounts for only 14 percent of rapes reported.

Men are victims, too

Though most victims of rape are women, men and boys are also at risk. 1 in 71
men survived rape during their lives. This amounts to about 1.6 million men and
boys in the United States. Along with women, men and boys report that the
majority, 52 percent, were raped by an acquaintance, while 15 percent report rape
by strangers. Over one-fourth of male survivors were raped before the age of 10.

(more)

Julia Laughlin WR 10 TA 2 A#6 DOJ Govt. Studies Page 2

College students: especially vulnerable
Sexual assault is a prevalent problem
on college campuses. 1 in 5 college
women have been sexually assaulted.
Many term campus occurrences
incapacitated assault. Meaning the
victims are sexually abused while
drunk, under the influence of drugs,
passed out, or incapacitated in other
ways. College culture is one main
influencer of the problem. The report
Only 12 percent of college sexual assault
states that 58 percent of incapacitated
victims report it to law enforcement.
rapes and 28 percent of forced rapes
Graphic by: Brandon Jordon, for The Knight
took place at parties. In keeping with
News
other statistics, most college victims
are assaulted by someone they know. This may contribute to the low reporting
rates. Only about 12 percent of college victims report the assault to law
enforcement.
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