Statistics About Rape Against Women

Something feels off about an interaction with a boss, a coach, a teacher, or a church leader, someone in authority over you. But you aren’t worried because this person is supposed to be trustworthy. Suddenly, you are sexually assaulted in a horrific and demeaning way that changes your life forever. Unfortunately, sexual assault of women is prevalent in society, and the statistics are alarming.

General Sexual Assault Statistics

Non-consensual sex (attempted or completed) – also referred to as rape – is experienced by one in five women in the United States at some point in their lives. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) also reports that one in three female victims of completed or attempted non-consensual sex experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and states that “young women are especially at risk.”

82% of all juvenile survivors are female. 90% of adult survivors are female.

Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be survivors of attempted or completed non-consensual sex.

Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely.

According to RAINN.org, every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. A disturbing rape statistic is that eight out of ten rapes are committed by someone known to the survivor, such as in the case of intimate partner sexual violence. And every nine minutes, the victim is a child. BUT only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.

How many men commit sexual violence? According to the National Library of Medicine, among known risk factors for being convicted of a violent crime, male sex is the most prominent; men commit about 90% of violent crimes. The majority of violent crimes are perpetrated by a small number of persistent violent offenders, typically males, characterized by early onset of violent criminality, substance abuse, personality disorders, and nonviolent criminality.

You might wonder how many women are raped or killed per year in the United States. 298,628 women were sexually assaulted or raped in 2020, according to statistics. You also might wonder how many women were killed per year. Some 47,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2020.

What percentage of women are sexually assaulted? Nine out of every ten – 90% – survivors of completed non-consensual sex are female.

United States crime statistics from 2020-2023 have been collected by the FBI. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Table, Crimes Against Persons, the following number of incidents (which include Assault Offenses, Homicide Offenses, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping/Abduction, and Sex Offenses for the years 2020-2023) are as follows:

2020 – 1,924,378
2021 – 2,552,446
2022 – 2,988,454
2023 – 3,428,736

Specific Cases

Three ridesourcing (also referred to as ridesharing) companies reported that about 4,600 incidents of the five most serious types of sexual assault occurred related to trips arranged through their digital applications (app) in 2019, the only year for which all three companies publicly reported data.

When riding in an Uber or Lyft or any rideshare vehicle, we expect to get from Point A to Point B safely. But sexual assault happens when using rideshare. Sexual assault survivors can heal from the trauma by finding their voice and reclaiming their power and holding the rideshare company accountable. A Case for Women can do that by connecting the survivor with a rideshare sexual assault lawyer.

Widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was covered up by senior church officials. According to Ruth Graham of The New York Times on June 2, 2023, “More than 300 priests were found to have abused children, at least 1,000 of them, over the course of seven decades.” The Catholic Church has admitted its failure to protect the vulnerable. That is why settlement funds have been established to compensate survivors. If sexual abuse happened to you in the Catholic Church, IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT. Even if it has been decades since you were hurt, you may still have legal options.

Because sexual violence is so prevalent against women, there is an opportunity to hold the a perpetrator accountable through civil lawsuits that can help give the woman her voice back, thus empowering her to move forward. Some notable lawsuits that have shed light on sexual assault involve Dr. David Broadbent, Dr. Fabio Ortega, and the Roblox sextortion case. The two doctors, both OB/GYNs, assaulted women under the guise of medical care. The assaults went on for years and, in Dr. Ortega’s case, the hospitals at which he worked protected him. The Roblox sextortion cases bring Roblox to the spotlight as it has enabled a culture where young people are sexually and financially exploited.

Impact on Mental Health

Survivors of sexual assault often suffer with long-term mental health issues. VAWnet.org is a project of the National Resource on Domestic Violence and is designed to support those working on behalf of survivors. Per VAWnet, “Long term outcomes include PTSD, depression, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, alcohol and illicit drug use, nonfatal suicidal behavior and suicidal threats, physical symptoms in the absence of medical conditions, and severe preoccupations with physical appearances.” Long term reactions also include continuing anxiety, poor health, sense of helplessness, persistent fear, mood swings, sleep disturbances, flashbacks, panic attacks, phobias, relationship difficulties, withdrawal/isolation, paranoia, and localized pain.

Impact on Survivors

Survivors not only suffer a lasting physical trauma, but emotional and psychological trauma, as well. These effects of sexual assault can cause severe mental trauma in the long run. Survivors worry about the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) which can cause long-term damage to the body. Survivors are also impacted in the following ways:

Shame
Guilt
Denial
Minimizing
Boundaries
Trust
Safety
Isolation
Amnesia
Disassociation
Cognitive

Creating Safe Spaces for Survivors

According to King Street Chronicle in an article by Emily Shull dated April 12, 2024, “Often, once victims bring attention to sexual assault cases, the public refuses to believe them.” When bringing allegations to the public, women face blame, shame, retaliation, and doubt, according to pbs.org. Emily Shull also states, “The public needs to take every case of sexual assault seriously. That starts with creating a safe space for individuals to speak up about the truth. Americans must not let victims of sexual violence go without justice.”

Safe spaces are a place for survivors to go where they can speak about the sexual violence that was committed against them. Survivors need to share their stories and be listened to without fear or judgment. Loved ones, friends, and readers should educate themselves on sexual assault and, most importantly, listen patiently, believe the survivors and support them through their healing journey.

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. Women experience and fear sexual violence in public spaces, on streets, in and around public transportation, on rideshares, in schools, and workplaces. Fear reduces a woman’s ability to participate in many activities. Creating a safer world for women everywhere should be a priority because of the eye-opening statistics about sexual violence against women.

Statistics About Sexual Assault Committed Against Women

General Sexual Assault Statistics

Specific Cases

Impact on Mental Health

Impact on Survivors

Creating Safe Spaces for Survivors

Safe Spaces to Share

Issues

Riding in Fear: Unmasking the Dark Side of Ride-Sharing Apps