Teen Violence

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most recent sexual violence statistics indicate that on average about 24 people per minutes are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. Sexual violence statistics show that number reaches about 12 million people each year in the United States.

Out of the total number of sexual violence statistics, about one million women are raped every year. About six million women and men are victims of stalking in the course of a year in the United States. These most recent sexual violence statistics indicate that sexual violence, stalking and intimate partner violence are becoming a huge problem regarding the public health in the U.S. Because of these growing sexual violence statistics, it is important more men and women to be able to look for the warning signs of concerning behaviors in their partners. It is also important for men and women to learn how to avoid certain situations and activities that might increase their risk of becoming a victim of sexual violence.

Sexual Violence Statistics:

While many women might be concerned about being attacked and raped by a stranger in a dark alley, the reality is that the majority of all cases of sexual assault occur with a person the victim knows very well or is in fact their intimate partner. According to the CDC numbers of sexual violence statistics, about thee-fourths of female victims of completed rape were raped prior to age 25. About 42 percent of all completed rape victims reported that the incident occurred before the age of 18. About 30 percent of all rape victims were ages 11 to 17. About 12 percent were under the age of 10. About 30 percent of sexual assault victims that are male are under the age of 10 at the time of the incident. 

Sexual Violence by a Partner:

Violence by a partner is unfortunately very common with about one in four women that have been victimized and sexually assaulted by their partner, according to sexual violence statistics from the CDC. These violence incidents also included being physically abused or assaulted with incidents like being hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something, etc. About one in seven men, or about 14 percent have experienced an incident like this from their female counterpart. 

The effect of sexual violence on another person is often both a physical and mental problem, and can have a long term effect on the victims. Both women and men that have experience rape, sexually assault or other types of perpetrator or partner-inflicted violence are more likely to report long-term effects like headaches, chronic pain, problems sleeping and activity limitations. They are also more likely to have poor physical health and mental health than in comparison to others. Other impacts of intimate partner abuse show that about 81 percent of women and 35 percent of men who have experienced rape, abuse, stalking or physical violence are more likely to have episodes of prolonged fear and paranoia, concern for their safety, injury and have missed at least one day of work or school.

The impact of sexual violence by a partner, acquaintance or stranger can leave long last mental and physical effects. Preventing sexual violence in a partnership requires men and women to look for those red flag warning signs early on in the relationship. It is important to make sure your partner does not exhibit signs of controlling behaviors, extreme jealousy, possessiveness and rough or aggressive sexual tendencies. To avoid these problems from getting worse, it is important to get out of the relationship as soon as possible. If you fear for your safety, report the incident to the authorities and consider taking legal action against the person in question. Stay with friends or family and do not give out your forwarding information to your former partner and make sure your fiends and family know not to pass the information along as well. 

Cracking down on these sexual violence statistics is important and teens especially should be aware that they are at risk for becoming a statistic. Reporting these incidents as soon as they occur is a good way to help get legal protection against the perpetrator and get them facing legal repercussions for their actions so they cannot continue their behavior toward more victims. Not letting sexually and physically violent individuals get away with their actions is an important part of lowering the sexual violence statistics. 

Sources: cdc.gov