Child Sexual Abuse Is a Widespread Problem

every

9

minutes

That victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 5 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.

93 percent of child sexual abuse is committed by a person the child and his or her family know.

In Russian – Сексуальная Статика
In English – Sexual Statistics

Everyone Is Affected by Sexual Violence

  • Every 92 seconds another American is sexually assaulted.1
  • 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted).4
  • About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.4
  • From 2009-2013, Child Protective Services agencies substantiated, or found strong evidence to indicate that, 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse.5
  • A majority of child victims are 12-17. Of victims under the age of 18: 34% of victims of sexual assault and rape are under age 12, and 66% of victims of sexual assault and rape are age 12-17.6

The Majority of Sexual Assaults Occur At or Near the Victim’s Home

Younger People Are at the Highest Risk of Sexual Violence

Women and Girls Experience Sexual Violence at High Rates

Men and Boys Are Also Affected by Sexual Violence

Child Sexual Abuse Is a Widespread Problem

  • One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.3
  • 82% of all victims under 18 are female.4
  • Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.2

The effects of child sexual abuse can be long-lasting and affect the victim’s mental health. Victims are more likely than non-victims to experience the following mental health challenges:5

  • About 4 times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse
  • About 4 times more likely to experience PTSD as adults
  • About 3 times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as adults

Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse Are Often Related to the Victim

  • Out of the yearly 63,000 sexual abuse cases substantiated, or found strong evidence, by Child Protective Services (CPS),6 the perpetrator was most often the parent:1
    • 80% of perpetrators were a parent
    • 6% were other relatives
    • 5% were “other” (from siblings to strangers)
    • 4% were unmarried partners of a parent
  • Out of the sexual abuse cases reported to CPS in 2013, 47,000 men and 5,000 women were the alleged perpetrators.6
  • In 88% of the sexual abuse claims that CPS substantiates or finds supporting evidence of, the perpetrator is male. In 9% of cases they are female, and 3% are unknown.6

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence Often Know the Victim

The majority of children and teen victims know the perpetrator.

  • Of sexual abuse cases reported to law enforcement, 93% of juvenile victims knew the perpetrator:2
    • 59% were acquaintances
    • 34% were family members
    • 7%  were strangers to the victim

Victims of sexual violence who are incarcerated are most likely to be assaulted by jail or prison staff.

  • In jail or prison, 60% of all sexual violence against inmates is perpetrated by the institution’s staff.4

About Perpetrators

Sexual Violence Can Have Long-Term Effects on Victims

The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

  • 94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.9
  • 30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.10
  • 33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide.11
  • 13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.11
  • Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.12

People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.11

  • 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana
  • 6 times more likely to use cocaine
  • 10 times more likely to use other major drugs

Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers.12

  • 38% of victims of sexual violence experience work or school problems, which can include significant problems with a boss, coworker, or peer.
  • 37% experience family/friend problems, including getting into arguments more frequently than before, not feeling able to trust their family/friends, or not feeling as close to them as before the crime.
  • 84% of survivors who were victimized by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.
  • 79% of survivors who were victimized by a family member, close friend or acquaintance experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.
  • 67% of survivors who were victimized by a stranger experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

Victims are at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

  • Studies suggest that the chance of getting pregnant from one-time, unprotected intercourse is between 3.1-5%13, depending on a multitude of factors, including the time of month intercourse occurs, whether contraceptives are used, and the age of the female. The average number of rapes and sexual assaults against females of childbearing age is approximately 250,000.1 Thus, the number of children conceived from rape each year in the United States might range from 7,750—12,500.12 This is a very general estimate, and the actual number may differ. This statistic presents information from a number of different studies. Further, this information may not take into account factors which increase or decrease the likelihood of pregnancy, including, but not limited to: impact of birth control or condom use at the time of attack or infertility. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review sources for more information and detail.

Sources:​

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2010-2016 (2017).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement (2000).

United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. Child Maltreatment Survey, 2012 (2013).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011-2012 (2013). 

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians and Crime, 1992-2002 (2004).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (2013).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2009 (2013).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005-2010 (2014).

Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2013 (2014).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 
2013-2017 (2018).

i. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997); ii. Department of
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
Crimes Against the Elderly, 2003-2013 (2014).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crimes Against the Elderly, 2003-2013 (2014).

National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control 
& Prevention, Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence 
Against Women Survey (1998). (Statistic
presents information on the total number of male and female victims in the United States, using a study from 1998. Because the U.S. population has increased substantially since then, it is probable that the number of victims has, as well. RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review any and all sources for more information and detail.) 

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law 
Enforcement (2000).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Rape and Sexual Victimization Among College-Aged Females, 
1995-2013 (2014). 

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010  (2013).

D.S. Riggs, T. Murdock, W. Walsh, A prospective examination of 
post-traumatic stress disorder in rape victims. Journal of Traumatic 
Stress 455-475 (1992).

J. R. T. Davidson & E. B. Foa (Eds.) Posttraumatic Stress 
Disorder: DSM-IV and Beyond. American Psychiatric Press: Washington, DC.
(pp. 23-36).

DG Kilpatrick, CN Edumuds, AK Seymour. Rape in America: A Report to 
the Nation. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center and Medical University
of South Carolina (1992).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Socio-emotional Impact of Violent Crime (2014).

Allen J. Wilcox, David B. Dunson, Clarice R. Weinberg, James Trussell, and Donna Day Baird, Likelihood
of Contraception with a Single Act of Intercourse: Providing Benchmark 
Rates for Assessment of Post-Coital Contraceptives, Contraception Journal, (2001).  

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians and Crime, 1992-2002 (2004).

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by 
Inmates, 2011-2012 (2013).

Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, (2017).

David Cantor, Bonnie Fisher, 
Susan Chibnall, Reanna Townsend, et. al. Association of American 
Universities (AAU), Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (September 21, 2015). ("Victim
services agency” is defined in this study as a “public or privately 
funded organization that provides victims with support and services to aid their recovery, offer protection, guide them through the criminal justice process, and assist with obtaining restitution.” RAINN presents this data for educational purposes only, and strongly recommends using the citations to review any and all sources for more information and 
detail.)