Sexual Assault

The month of April focuses on many awareness’s and sexual assault is one of the many. Sexual assault is illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent. In 2007 there were 248,300 sexual assaults according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Crime Victimization Survey. Someone, somewhere, is being sexually assaulted every two minutes or every 127 seconds. Rape or sexual assault has decreased by 60% since 1993.

One in six American women have been the victim of sexual assault or attempted rape or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape). Based on those statistics two girls in our School News class will be sexually assaulted in their life. Sexual assault is one of the most under reported crimes, with as much as 60% going unreported. Males are the least likely to report a sexual assault, though they make up about 10% of all victims.

If rape is reported, there is a 50.8% chance of an arrest. If there is an arrest, there is an 80% chance of prosecution. If there is a prosecution, there’s a 58% chance of conviction. If there is a felony conviction, there is a 69% chance the convict will spend time in jail. So even in the 39% of attacks that are reported to the police, there’s only a 16.3% chance the rapist will end up in prison. Factoring in unreported rapes, about 6% of rapists will ever spend time in jail. 15 of 16 walk freely.

Approximately two of three rapes were completed by someone known to the victim. 73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by non-stranger. 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance. 28% are an intimate. 7% are a relative.

Sexual assault needs to be stopped in America and everywhere. It damages a lot people and not many can come back from it. It’s very sick and gross and needs to be stopped right now.