Rape and Sexual Assault Information
If you are a female, chances are 1 in 10 that you will be a victim of sexual assault. The
attacker makes no distinction between age, race, appearance or any other characteristics.
Common sense is your best defense against attack.
Because every rape is different, there's no one solution for thwarting an attack. We
recommend a powerful Triple Action Fogger, for a woman, mainly for it's stopping power.
If you are attacked, evaluate the situation and look for ways to escape. some women have
avoided rape by talking their way out of it, acting crazy or fighting back. A kick in the
groin isn't usually successful because men instinctively protect this area, and you may
lose your balance. If you decide to respond physically, remember that your first priority
is to get away. Act quickly and derisively to throw the attacker off guard while you
escape.
After an attack:
A. Go to a safe place.
B. Call the police.
C. Preserve evidence - don't shower or douche; blood and semen are important evidence. And
don't change your clothes or disturb the scene of the crime.
D. Get medical care.
Medical attention is vital! Many hospitals provide free care for rape victims and offer
pregnancy prevention and venereal disease treatment. Remember, even if you do get
treatment immediately, follow-up tests for V.D. are essential.
Never be embarrassed because of the incident. Allthough rape is difficult to talk about,
it is important to tell doctors what sex acts took place so they will know what medical
attention is needed.
Try to remember in detail your exact experience, for police records. Give as accurate and
complete description of your assailant as possible. This is extremely important! Your
complete co-operation with local authorities may help in preventing similar attacks on
other girls and women.
If you have been sexually assaulted in any way call the police and your local Sexual
Assault Crisis Center
| Sexual Assault |
- Despite an overall drop in overall crime rates,there was a 20 percent increase in rapes, and a 33.3 percent increase in sexual assaults in 1999 (Rennison, May 2000).
- Almost 70 percent of the rape and sexual assault victims knew the offender as an acquaintance,friend,relative or intimate (Ibid).
- During 1999,89,107 forcible rapes were reported to law enforcement, which is 5 percent lower than in 1998 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2000).
- Nearly half of all women who served in the military were subjected to violence (physical and sexual)during their service.Of these, 30 percent were raped,35 percent were physically assaulted, and 16 percent experienced both rape and assault.Reports of chronic health problems and use of prescription drugs for emotional problems were more prevalent among the women who had been raped.They were more likely to have quit school and make less than $25,000 annually (Sadler, 2000).
- Of all sexual assaults in which weapon information was available, a personal weapon (such as hands, feet, or fists) was the only weapon involved in 77 percent of the cases,a firearm in 2 percent of the cases, non-personal weapons (such as knife or club)in 6 percent of the cases, and no weapon in 14 percent of the cases (Snyder, 2000).
- A national survey of college women found that during the six-month reference period, 2.8 percent of the college women sampled reported experiencing a completed or an attempted rape. With regard to date rape, 35 percent of attempted rapes, 12.8 percent of completed rapes, and 22.9 percent of threatened rapes took place on a date. Less than 5 percent of completed and attempted rape incidents were reported to the police. Some type of self protective action was involved in two-thirds of completed rapes, and in 91.5 percent of attempted rapes (Fisher,1999).
Presented as a Public Service: Data Courtesy of National Center for Victims of Crime http://www.ncvc.org/