April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that victim is a child. Only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. These startling statistics come from the Rain, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)’s 2020 study and reveal the gruesome reality of the nation’s prevalent problem surrounding sexual assault and harassment. However, this does not paint a complete or accurate picture. It is estimated that one in every three instances of assault or harassment go unreported, making it markedly more difficult to acquire true, accurate statistics.

From 2009 to 2013, Child Protective Services agencies substantiated or found strong evidence to indicate that more than 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse. The majority of sexual assault child victims are between 12-17 years old at 66%, while 34% of victims were under the age of 12.

However, sexual harassment and assault does not just stop in the home or on the street. The #MeToo movement, which gained significant traction in 2017 following the widespread sexual abuse allegations against American film producer, Harvey Weinstein, began what would become a social media phenomenon that raised awareness of sexual abuse within the workplace, gave voice to survivors, and led to sweeping cultural and workplace changes. The movement was also credited with pushing for accountability, including examining the power structures within the workplace that had enabled sexual misconduct, and in some cases, renewed efforts to seek justice for survivors through criminal and civil court systems. In the years since, studies have actively followed the trends of sexual harassment and assault across the U.S. to better understand how laws and institutions might better provide help and support for victims and survivors of sexual assault in and out of the workplace.

A more recent study from the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University conducted in 2024 found that of the 3,300 adults over the age of 18 surveyed, most women (82%) and nearly half of all men (42%) have experienced sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.

For their study, they defined sexual harassment as “unwelcome behavior ranging from catcalling to stalking and unwanted touching in a sexual way” and assessed sexual assault defined as “a forced or coerced sex act” According to their research, the incidents often occur as sexual harassment in public spaces, with 73% of women and 24% of men reporting harassment in locations like streets, parks, beaches, gyms, stores, buses or subways. “While attitudes and policies have improved since the start of the #MeToo movement, our latest data shows that sexual harassment and assault remain a pervasive problem across our society with clear social and health impacts on victims,” said Anita Raj, Executive Director of Newcomb Institute.

Although there has been increased awareness and legislative action in the wake of the #MeToo movement, researchers found no change in the prevalence of sexual harassment since the last survey conducted in 2018. Key findings from their 2024 report include: • Roughly 1 in 4 U.S. adults (26%), or more than 68 million people, experienced sexual harassment or assault in the past year alone, with significantly higher rates for women (32%) compared to men (15%).

• Non-binary/gender non-conforming (79%) and transgender (87%) individuals reported high lifetime prevalence rates, demonstrating the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ+ communities.

• Perpetrators are most often strangers for verbal, cyber and physically aggressive harassment, often in public spaces, while sexual assaults more frequently involve known individuals like partners, family members and acquaintances, most often in private spaces like residences or cars.

• Most victims — 87% of women and 89% of men — did not disclose their experiences to anyone, highlighting the need for improved support and accountability systems.

While it is a lot of information for readers to take in, it can be said with no small amount of certainty that healthy support and accountability systems and legislative action are not just needed, but imperative to aiding survivors and cracking down on a problem so pervasive in our nation.

In light of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it is important to reach out to and support those who may be struggling with the aftermath of sexual assault or abuse. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a sexual assault, please call the National Emotional Crisis and Suicide Hotline at 9-8-8 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.