Lifetime Probability of Sexual Assault
~21% (women)
Lifetime probability in US
About 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced completed or attempted rape. Most assaults occur before age 25.
The CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found that approximately 21.3% of women (about 1 in 5) and 2.6% of men (about 1 in 38) have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. Including other forms of sexual violence (sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact), the rates are substantially higher: about 43.9% of women and 24.8% of men.
About 80% of female rape victims and 71% of male victims first experienced rape before age 25. Nearly half of female victims (48.3%) were first raped before age 18. College-age women (18-24) face 3 times the national average risk. About 90% of sexual assault victims know their attacker; stranger assaults are the minority.
Sexual assault remains dramatically underreported: only about 25% of rapes/sexual assaults are reported to police, making it one of the most underreported crimes. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and the DoD Safe Helpline. Trauma-informed care, forensic medical examinations, counseling, and legal advocacy are key elements of victim services. About 50-94% of sexual assault survivors develop PTSD symptoms.
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