Violence and Awareness

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Violence across America’s cities has increased on an annual basis. In 2018, 652,676 women were raped or sexually assaulted while the corresponding number for men was 81,956. . On college campuses in the US, among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. Here are some statistics for sexual violence:

• One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives
• In the U.S., one in three women and one in six men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime
• 51.1% of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance
• 52.4% of male victims report being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger
• Almost half (49.5%) of multiracial women and over 45% of American Indian/Alaska Native women were subjected to some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime
• 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and nine percent are male
• In eight out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the perpetrator
• 8% of rapes occur while the victim is at work
• One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old
• 30% of women were between the ages of 11 and 17 at the time of their first completed rape
• 12.3% of women were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization
• 27.8% of men were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization
• More than one third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult
• 96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults
• 34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members of the child
• It is estimated that 325,000 children per year are currently at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation
• The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12-14 years old, and the average age at which boys first become victims of prostitution is 11-13 years old
• Only 12% of child sexual abuse is ever reported to the authorities
• 20% – 25% of college women and 15% of college men are victims of forced sex during their time in college
• 63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes
• More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault
• 27% of college women have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact
• Nearly two thirds of college students experience sexual harassment

Clearly this is a sad state of affairs and a very alarming trend. One can only guess as to the catalyst for this type of heinous behavior. Some argue that is the fault of the female while others argue that it stems from the male dominant attitude that still permeates the workplace. Please watch the following brief Ted Talk about sexual violence. It brings about a new perspective on the subject of sexual violence

Can you think of a situation where the bystander approach could have been used and you should have stood up to change the perception that was being expressed. Although the presentation is about men to women, clearly this is not a female dominated issue as the statistics show. How can we change the culture of our society that perpetuates this type of violence? We have brought forth many great conversations this semester that you can pull from. Remember to please be respectful of everyone’s voice and opinions as this can be a very sensitive topic.