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If you are in immediate danger of being raped, here are some things that you can do.  

Make a loud noise - Carry a whistle or scream "police" to attract attention  

Run - Only run if there is somewhere safe to run to. If there is no where to go you may aggravate the assailant further by running

Stall - Speak calmly and rationally. Try not to plead, cry or show that you're scared, this may be the reaction that he's going for.  

Urinate or vomit - Do anything you can to repulse the assailant. Tell him that you have a STD or AIDS.

Fight - Women who resist attacks and act quickly are less likely to be raped, than those who are passive. The optimum time to react is in the first 20 seconds when the body releases chemicals in the blood that help to put up a fight. Be cautious if he has a weapon.  

Keep alert - Even though it will be difficult, try to pay attention to as many details as possible, so that you can identify your assailant.

Get help - Call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. Police are becoming more willing to help victims of rape. You are not obligated to press charges or go to court.  

Collect evidence - Do not bathe, shower, or douche. If you change clothes, put the clothes you were raped in into a bag and seal it.

Tell someone - Call the police, rape crisis counselor, telephone operator, friend. It is very important that someone knows and that it is not kept a secret.

Women in college 40% more likely to become a victim of sexual assault (thats 1 in 4)!  Here are some quick facts - don't become a victim - get protection now!

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1 out of every 6 American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).

17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.

9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003.

While about 80% of all victims are white, minorities are somewhat more likely to be attacked.

Lifetime rate of rape /attempted rape for women by race:

  • All women: 17.6%
  • White women: 17.7%
  • Black women: 18.8%
  • Asian Pacific Islander women: 6.8%
  • American Indian/Alaskan women: 34.1%
  • Mixed race women: 24.4%

Men

About 3% of American men -- or 1 in 33 -- have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

  • In 2003, 1 in every ten rape victims were male.
  • 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.

Children

15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12.

  • 29% are age 12-17.
  • 44% are under age 18.
  • 80% are under age 30.
  • 12-34 are the highest risk years.
  • Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused.

  • 3% of boys grades 5-8 and 5% of boys in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused.

In 1995, local child protection service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse.

  • Of these, 75% were girls.
  • Nearly 30% of child victims were between the age of 4 and 7.

93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker.

  • 34.2% of attackers were family members.
  • 58.7% were acquaintances.
  • Only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim.


Effects of Rape

Victims of sexual assault are:

3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.


Pregnancies Resulting from Rape

In 2004-2005, 64,080 women were raped. According to medical reports, the incidence of pregnancy for one-time unprotected sexual intercourse is 5%. By applying the pregnancy rate to 64,080 women, RAINN estimates that there were 3,204 pregnancies as a result of rape during that period.

This calculation does not account for the following factors which could lower the actual number of pregnancies:
  • Rape, as defined by the NCVS, is forced sexual intercourse. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, oral, or anal penetration by offender(s). This category includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Certain types of rape under this definition cannot cause pregnancy.
  • Some victims of rape may be utilizing birth control methods, such as the pill, which will prevent pregnancy.
  • Some rapists may wear condoms in an effort to avoid DNA detection.
  • Vicims of rape may not be able to become pregnant for medical or age-related reasons.
This calculation does not account for the following factors which could raise the actual number of pregnancies:
  • Medical estimates of a 5% pregnancy rate are for one-time, unprotected sexual intercourse. Some victimizations may include multiple incidents of intercourse.
  • Because of methodology, NCVS does not measure the victimization of Americans age 12 or younger. Rapes of these young people could results in pregnancies not accounted for in RAINN's estimates.


References
  1. 1998 Commonwealth Fund Study of the Health of Adolescent Boys. 1998.
  2. 1998 Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Girls. 1998.
  3. National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey. 1998.
  4. 1997 Sex Offense and Offenders Study. 1997.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
  6. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2000 Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement. 2000.
  7. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. 1995 Child Maltreatment Study. 1995
  8. U.S. Department of Justice. 2005 National Crime Victimization Study. 2005.
  9. U.S. Department of Justice. 2003 National Crime Victimization Survey. 2003.
  10. U.S. Department of Justice. 2000 National Crime Victimization Study. 2000.
  11. U.S. Department of Justice. 1999 National Crime Victimization Study. 1999.
  12. U.S. Department of Justice.
nicole_kidman.jpgOscar winner NICOLE KIDMAN is trying to raise awareness of violence against women. The actress, who is the goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) - helped launch the Say No to Violence against Women campaign. She says, "One in three women will encounter violence in some way, shape or form against them in their lifetime. So much of it is shrouded in silence. What we are trying to do is say this is something that needs to be addressed. A lot of it is taking away the stigma, creating awareness and not making it a silent pandemic. I want to encourage people of all nations to unite behind our call to end violence against women.

RAPES...There were 94,635 reported rapes in 2004. The highest percentage of rape is in the Northeast. July is when the greatest number of rapes occur.

ROBBERIES...There were 401,326 robberies in 2004. Highest percentage of these (38%) were in the South. 42% of the robberies occurred on the streets, 14% occurred in homes.

ASSAULT...There were 854,911 incidents of aggravated assault. Firearms were used for 19.3% of the assaults, knives or cutting instruments 18.6%, other weapons (clubs, blunt objects, etc.) 35.6% and personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) accounted for 26.6% of the assaults.

CAR JACKINGS...There are around 38,000 car jackings each year. 74% of the victims faced a weapon. About 63% of carjacking incidents occurred within 5 miles of the victim's home, including 17% that occurred at or near the home...sometimes in their own driveway. Only 4% occurred more than 50 miles from the victim's home.


Sexual Assault

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An estimated 12.1 million women in the U.S. have been victims of Rape. At least 39% of these victims have been involved in more than one rape. An estimated 20% of teenage girls and young women have been involved in some type of dating violence.

This includes: Physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse. While it is important to address the needs of the victims of assault, it is equally important to be prepared for stopping this sexual violence before it begins.

Shelly Neel - President of Stinger Defense LLC

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