Statistics

 

West Virginia Statistics

In West Virginia (WV-IBRS, 2009): 

 

  • Nearly 82% of all sexual assaults were committed by someone known to the victim.
    • 46.6% of assaults were committed by an acquaintance and 7.4% by an intimate partner.
    • 27.6% by 'other' family (e.g., in-law, sibling)
  • Most (70%) sex offenses were reported to have occurred at a residence or home.
  • Personal weapons, such as the offender's hands or fists were used during sex offenses, more than other weapons.
  • 64.8% of victims were juveniles under the age of 18. The most frequently reported age was 15.
  • The majority of the offenders were males (93%) and adult (70.6%).

1 in 6 adult women and 1 in 21 men will be the victim of an attempted or completed forcible rape in their lifetimes (WV Health Statistics Center, BRFSS, 2008).

 

 

National Statistics

  • Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted (RAINN).
  • 1 in 6 U.S. women and 1 in 33 U.S. men have been victims of a completed or attempted rape (RAINN). Ages 12-24 are the highest risk years. 15% of victims are under the age of 12. 43% of rapes occur between 6:00 p.m. and midnight. 24% occur between midnight and 6:00 a.m. The other 33% take place between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2007).
  • Teens 16 to 19 are 4 times more likely to be victims of rape than the general population (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2000).
  • In sexual assaults of adults, the offender was a stranger in 25% of incidents, a family member in 12% of incidents, and an acquaintance in 63% of incidents (National Violence Against Women Survey, 1995 – 2000). In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon. In 47% of sexual assaults, the victim sustained additional injuries. 75% of female rape victims require medical care after an attack. Less than 5% of college women report incidences of rape to the police. 75% of male students and 55% of female students involved in acquaintance rape had been drinking or using drugs. More than half of sexually assaulted college women tell no one of their victimization.
  • It is estimated that only 16% - 40% of all rapes are reported to law enforcement (Kilpatrick et al., 2007: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1992-2000).