Sexual Assault

Description

Specific legal definition varies from state to state:

• Nonconsensual completed or attempted penetration between the penis and vulva, or penis and anus
• Nonconsensual contact between the mouth and the penis, vulva, or anus
• Nonconsensual penetration of the anal or genital opening with a finger, hand, or object
• Nonconsensual intentional touching, directly or through clothing, of the genitalia, vagina, anus, groin, inner thigh, or buttocks
• Occurs because of physical force, psychological, coercion or incapacitation or impairment
• Occurs when a victim cannot consent due to age or developmental challenges

Etiology

• In the US, 43.6% of women experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime; approximately 1 in 5 women in the US reported completed or attempted rape in their lifetime
• Nearly a quarter of men in the US experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. About 1 in 14 men in the US was made to penetrate someone else (attempted or completed) at some point in their lifetime
• National data shows that teenagers and young adults have the highest rates of being sexually assaulted
• In the US, over 1 in 3 women experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, during their lifetime, and 1 and 3 men experience the same
• Women who are disabled, pregnant, or attempting to leave their abusers are at increased risk of intimate partner rape
• Prevalence of sexual assault in men is higher in those who are gay, bisexual, veterans, prison inmates, or seeking mental health services