In the world today, sexual assault (also referred to as Sexual Violence) is finally a topic that is moving to the forefront of people’s conversations and minds. Even with the upsurge of awareness among communities, campuses, and colleagues there are still many misconceptions about sexual assault. Spreading accurate awareness around this topic can help correct long-standing notions surrounding sexual assault and create a better understanding of the issue.
What is Sexual Assault?
When you see a headline or hear a report, what term are they using to describe the incident? Rape, sexual assault, molestation, a vague “attack”? It can be difficult to get a full understanding of a situation when so many different terms are being used. The technical definition of sexual assault can vary between different localities according to how their laws are written. Oftentimes in today’s media, sexual assault is used as a catchall term, for what The Office for Victims of Crime calls “Sexual Violence”.
“The term sexual violence encompasses a broad range of unwanted sexual activities, all of which are crimes that have a profound effect on victims. Sexual violence includes sexual assault, rape or attempted rape, child sexual molestation or abuse, incest, statutory rape, spousal or intimate partner rape, fondling, forced or coerced pornography, sex trafficking, and forced or coerced prostitution.
“Not all sexual violence includes physical contact. Generally, rape includes penetration with any object, while sexual assault may or may not include penetration and may include emotional rather than physical violence, such as the threat of sexual assault. Many state laws refer to sexual violence as "rape" or "sexual assault."” More simply put, “sexual assault” can encompass a range of nonconsensual sexual acts.
Who is Assaulted?
In years past, when and if sexual assault was discussed, the focus was generally on young women. As more survivors have come forward in recent years, it is being more widely known that anyone can be sexually assaulted; men, women, young, old, identifying as LGBTQ, regardless of race, religion, or status. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center complied statistics from various studies to show the range of people that are affected by sexual violence:
Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives, including completed forced penetration, attempted forced penetration, or alcohol/drug facilitated completed penetration.
A majority of female survivors of completed or attempted rape first experienced such victimization early in life, with 81.3% (nearly 20.8 million) reporting that it first occurred prior to age 25. Men reported similarly, that their first experience occurred prior to age 25 as well.
The End Rape on Campus Organization discussed the Prevalence Rates for Survivors of Color, specifically involving rape:
Asian/Pacific Islander: 6.8%
Hispanic/Latina: 11.9%
White:17.7%
Black: 18.8%
American Indian/Alaska Native: 34.1%
Mixed Race: 24.4%
And according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey for 2010, rates of sexual violence for those identifying as LGBTQ were higher than those who did not identify as LGBTQ.
Resources and studies such as these help show that people of all various groups can be victimized and that sexual assault is not something that happens to one “kind” of person.
Who are the Perpetrators?
Another important distinction that needs to be made when accurately discussing sexual assault is who the perpetrators most commonly are. There is a notion, a misconception, that sexual assault is most often carried out by a shady stranger on the street or somewhere out away from the victim’s home. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found in their Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 Study that between 2005 and 2010, more than 75% of surveyed victims of sexual assault knew the offender. The “known” offender percentages broke down into these categories:
Current or former intimate partners: 34%
Friends or Acquaintances: 38%
Relative or Family Member: 6%
If the general public perpetuates this incorrect image of who a perpetrator is they could be keeping survivors silent because their assaults do not fit the popular narrative. The reality of sexual assault, for most, is that the perpetrators are those who the survivors know and trust. Dispelling myths about who commits these crimes is an important part of this discussion.
Why does Sexual Assault Happen?
Maybe you’ve overhead some discussions on this topic where someone throws out their answer as to “why” a sexual assault occurred. Just think of some of those replies for a moment... There are numerous incorrect and uneducated answers that could be given. Too many, in fact. The one correct answer is this: Power and Control. Sexual Assault is a form of violence used by a perpetrator to exhibit power over the other person and to gain control over their lives. The blame and the responsibility for the assault lies entirely on the perpetrators shoulders.
When moving forward in your day to day life, and this topic comes up, as it surely will, be sure to challenge yourself and others to discuss facts and not myths. More education and more clarity around this once taboo topic can only aid in changing the perspective surrounding it. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so please, spread accurate awareness.