Sexual Violence

Sexual Violence is More Than Rape

Sexual violence is any sexual act or behavior committed against someone without their consent. It includes a range of actions such as: 

• Rape
• Sexual assault
• Unwanted sexual contact
• Sexual harassment
• Coercion
• Any form of non-consensual sexual activity

Sexual violence can involve:

• Physical force
• Threats
• Manipulation
• Pressure
• Situations where a person is unable to give consent due to 
• Age
• Intoxication
• Incapacitation

It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, or background. Perpetrators can be strangers, acquaintances, partners, family members, or authority figures.

Sexual violence is driven by a desire to dominate, manipulate, or exert authority over another person, rather than a pursuit of mutual intimacy or pleasure. Perpetrators use sexual violence as a tool to degrade, intimidate, or harm others, often disregarding consent and violating boundaries to assert their power. This is why sexual violence occurs in various settings, including abusive relationships, workplaces, and institutions, and why it disproportionately affects marginalized groups who may have less social or systemic power. Understanding sexual violence as an issue of power and control helps shift the focus from victim-blaming to holding perpetrators accountable and addressing the societal structures that enable abuse.

Rape is the Least Reported Violent Crime

According to RAINN, only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police, which means more than 2 out of 3 go unreported. Of the sexual violence crimes reported to police from 2005-2010, the survivors reporting gave the following reasons for doing so:

• 28% to protect the household or vicitm from further crimes by the offender
• 25% to stop the incident or prevent recurrence or escalation
• 21% to improve police surveillance or they believed they had a duty to do so
• 17% to catch/punish/prevent offender from reoffending
• 6% gave a different answer, or declined to cite one reason
• 3% did so to get help or recover loss

Of the sexual violence crimes not reported to police from 2005-2010, the survivors gave the following reasons for not reporting:

• 20% feared retaliation
• 13% believed the police would not do anything to help
• 13% believed it was a personal matter
• 8% reported to a different official
• 8% believed it was not important enough to report
• 7% did not want to get the perpetrator in trouble
• 2% believed the police could not do anything to help
• 30% gave another reason, or did not cite one reason

The decision to report or disclose is deeply personal, and many survivors prioritize safety, emotional well-being, and control over their own healing process. 

Sexual Violence is Preventable

According to the Centers for Disease Control, decades of research, prevention efforts, and survivor-centered services have deepened our understanding of sexual violence and effective strategies to prevent it. One key finding is the strong interconnection between different forms of violence and how they contribute to the conditions that allow sexual violence to occur. Research shows that:

• People who experience one form of violence are more likely to experience other forms of violence. 
• People who engage in violence in one context (e.g., towards peers) are also likely to be violent in other contexts (e.g., towards dating partners). 
• Various forms of violence share common consequences that can negatively impact mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being and contribute to chronic health conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, or diabetes. 
• Different forms of violence (i.e., sexual, domestic, human trafficking, stalking) share common risk and protective factors.

Understanding the overlapping causes of violence and the things that can protect people and communities can help us better prevent violence in all its forms.