Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Open Your Eyes and Raise Your Voice

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s time to take a look at what sexual assault is and isn’t. Sexual assault is not simply violent rape committed by crazy men in a dark alley or done to young women in short skirts. It comes in many forms and affects different groups of people.

Sexual assault is an umbrella term to describe any form of forced sexual behavior. Rape is sex without consent or with coercion, whether that coercion be with physical force, drugs and alcohol, threats or fear. Sexual assault also includes unwanted sexual behavior such as touching, groping, exposure to pornography and more. Whatever its form, it is about controlling another person through sexual behavior. It is never the survivor’s fault.

A survivor of sexual assault has many faces. Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are sexually assaulted nationwide. The statistics are even higher for specific groups of people including Native women (whose rate of assault is 1 in 3), gay women of color, homeless women, immigrant men and women and the incarcerated. For children, some statistics estimate 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been abused.

A rapist can be anyone as well. Approximately 75 percent of rapes are committed by someone the survivor knows, whether it be a friend, intimate partner, spouse, family member, teacher or other.

What may be the most horrific aspect of this problem is that it is mostly a silent epidemic. Up to 80 percent of cases go unreported. And for those who do choose to speak out, justice can still be elusive. According to RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network) only 6 percent of rapists will ever spend a day in jail. In November 2009 a CBS News investigation found that an astounding 20,000 rape kits nationwide had yet to be sent to crime labs for testing, and thousands more that had been sent had not been tested yet.

What can be done about sexual assault? Besides lobbying for justice at the state and national level (see the Care2 petitions below), information and awareness is key. Most importantly, we need to remove the stigma by speaking out and openly about sexual assault. Consult the resources below to learn more and if you know of any other good resources, please post them in the comments.

Resources:
-Was I Sexually Assaulted? discusses the different forms of assault in depth.
-What Should I Do? outlines important steps to take in the event you have been assaulted.
-RAINN provides a free, confidential online hotline as well as a search engine to look for a crisis center in your local area.
-San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR) has an excellent list of links to articles about sexual violence specific to the disabled, immigrants, women of color, the military and more.
-SFWAR also has a great pamphlet for learning how to support survivors of sexual assault.
-Men Can Stop Rape encourages men to fight for gender equity by challenging traditional, harmful forms of masculinity.

Care2 Petitions:
-Justice for Rape Survivors
-Stop the Abuse of Afghan Women
-End International Violence Against Women
-End Human Trafficking in the U.S.
-End the Sexual Violence in Africa

Dreamstime

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Judy L.

7:58AM PDT on Apr 28, 2010

I've been married thrice, and both my former husbands turned to porno because they "got bored" with our marriage. Needless to say, and I'm gonna say, I was flat out devastated. These husbands that I thought the sun rose and set in their eyes, both abused and used me and then dumped me for a cyber interest- pornography
. What is it about the lurid, enticing, world of porno the sets the hook firmly in men, and leads them to the ultimate demise- divorce?? Do men feel they can squirm out from under their sacred marriage vows because their wives gain a few pounds, are affected with a life altering medical condition, etc and etc?
Women, sisters! Our tools or senses need to be more HONed and SHARPened when we are DATING, so we can allow more time to pass to get to really know our future mates and their genuine personalities. Just because a man flourishes a gentlemens' manner and and opens a car door for us, does not mean that our beloved will tenderly hold our hand in his during a crying spell over a family death, in the years to follow. So we must be more patient in waiting for that ring to be placed around our fingers. Otherwise.... The ring will be firmly pulled through our noses.
Yay or nay????

J

send a green star

Camilla V.

5:46AM PDT on Apr 25, 2010

noted and signed

8:40AM PDT on Apr 23, 2010

I wish Care2 would CONTINUE this chance in MAY to speak OUT regarding womens' rights to say NO to unwanted sex..
NO means N-O. NO.
Period.

J

Rose N.

6:44PM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

in should be sexual awareness every day

Past Member .

3:20PM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

nice article more like it are needed. thnx.

James S.

10:20AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

great article, thanks

Ella M.

8:23AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

Geez Michael Rain,
I ask that you do some crticial thinking and do some research of what the process of "blaming the victim" means. Are you saying that the assualt of a nine month old baby could have been prevented if the baby thought critically. How about an 80 year old woman? Or teenagers who are still learning about themselves and how to interact with boys and men? Or, a physically strong young girl who always handled the bullies, such as myself, who was overpowered and abused? Is that our fault? What about the countless boys that have been sexually abused? Should they have been smarter and stronger? Would it have been my fault, if I had been assualted when walking home from work in the middle of July by a man wearing a ski mask. All I could do was to try and plan a course of escape and dig into my bag for some means of protection. Not a soul in site to help. Luckily he was aware that I was aware of his presence. Certainly not. Maybe when men stop expecting and teaching girls and women that they are supposed to be nice, caring, nurturing and loving and to serve men, then we'll have half a chance to begin to protect ourselves. Maybe when men step up to the plate to do their part to protect their children, spouses, mothers, sisters, grandmothers -- all women and children, we might get somewhere. It's attitudes like yours that bring more harm to all victims and enable more victimization. I'm a fighter. I'm still vulnerable.

5:35AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

Well Michael, your comment is rather difficult for me, since I am a victim of incest which is also sexual assault and I did not do anything to make that happen, that was just my ' loving ' father who wanted to show me what sex was all about so I would not get a shock lateron when boys or men would be interested in me, so please consider that sexual assault can not always be escaped from and please also consider the pain that so many people, including men, have because of being sexually assaulted !!!!!!

4:15AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

ladies expecting someone else too protect you is silly and kinda childish your protection is your responsibility the politicially incorrect truth is you need to make better decisions about the men in your lives enough of this victom smeg its time for useing critical thinking and better judgement.
how about finding someone you trust and learn how to fight! guns knives hands etc.
none of this feel good nonviolence smeg or pc sc protest and symbolic walks or whining on chat shows.
if you wont do for yourself why should someone do it for you.

Charles W.

1:01AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

Until we reach that perfect world where everyone respects everyone else, we've got to stop demonizing the victims. No, you can't convict someone of a sex crime without evidence. But you also shouldn't treat a complainant as if they are lying without positive proof that they're lying. They must be treated with respect and compassion, and their complaint must be treated seriously. Every attempt must be made to collect all the evidence, in order to assertain the truth, and convict the perpertrators. No matter how stupidly a person acts, they do not forfeit their sovereignty over their own body.