This month is Sexual Assault Awareness Month across the United States. This time is intended for people to remember and celebrate survivors, educate the public, and focus on prevention.
Facts about sexual violence:
- 1 out of every 6 women in the United States has been a victim of rape[1]
- 1 out of every 33 men in the United States has been a victim of rape[1]
- 9 out of 10 victims of rape are female[2]
- 55 % of sexual assaults occur at or near the victim’s home[2]
In Vermont, there were 257 reported rapes in 2015. That was 55 more reported rapes than 2014[3]. Many sexual assault victims choose not to report for many different reasons.
In 2015 the Vermont Department of Health found “women [were] five times as likely as men to report someone [had] ever had sex with them without their consent”. And, Vermonters at the highest risk of sexual violence are between the ages of 18 and 24.[4]
What you can do to help:
Sexual assault can be committed against anyone. All survivors deserve support. The most important way to support survivors is to believe them. There are many other ways you can show your support for survivors, such as:
- Volunteering for your local sexual violence organization
- Donating to your local sexual violence organization
- Sharing facts about sexual violence on social media
- Having open conversations about sexual violence
Vermont Resources:
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Center for Crime Victim Services – Sexual Assault Program
National Resources:
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
[1] Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. “Scope of the Problem: Statistics.” RAINN. Accessed April 3, 2017. https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem.
[2] Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. “Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics.” RAINN. Accessed April 3, 2017. https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence.
[3] Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Crime in the United States by Region, Geographic Division, and State, 2014-2015.” Uniform Crime Reporting. Accessed April 3, 2017. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/tables/table-4.
[4] Vermont Department of Public Safety. “2014 Vermont Crime Report Summary.” Vermont Crime Information Center. Accessed April 3, 2017. http://vcic.vermont.gov/sites/vcic/files/files/crime-reports/2014/Summary%202014.pdf.
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