I attended a Teen Sexual Abuse Workshop last night and some of the information I received was surprising and revealing.

Statistics

  • One out of every three women are sexually assaulted before the age of 18
  • One out of every five men are sexually assaulted before the age of 18

Victims

  • Sexual Assault is a non-biased crime. It affects people of all ages, genders, and races
  • Lower class areas have higher rates of reported sexual assault
  • Victims are not chosen based on what they wear or how they look
  • Greater than 50% of all sexual assault occurs in a house. The second most likely place is inside a car
  • The greatest number of sexual assaults occur between 6pm and 6am. For children, the times are closely correlated to mealtimes

Perpetrators

  • 95% of all sexual assault are commited by men
  • Perpetrators are non-race or age related. However, the average age of convicted sexual assaulters is 30
  • 80-85% of all perpertrators are known by their victims
  • Weapons are normally not used in sexual assault. Perpetrators rely on the element of surprise
  • Sexual assault is not a crime about sex. It’s about power & control

The greatest resource we have to help victims of sexual assault are counselors trained to handle such cases. As youth workers, we are mandated reporters in suspicions of abuse and neglect. If you work with youth and suspect abuse has taken place, you must report this to Child Protective Services.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault, there are rape crisis centers here to help you.

In Santa Clara County: 408.287.3000
In San Mateo County: 650.493.7273

These numbers can be used by other relations of abuse victims (counselors, teachers, friends, relatives, etc) to receive information and advice about how to handle these situations. NOTE: Rape Crisis Centers are NOT mandated reporting agencies. They can protect your confidentiality.

I only bring this to light because sexual assault is often a crime in which the victims are the ones blamed and one where victims often feel ashamed or guilty. It is the job of those of us who work with young people to inform them of their rights and to educate, empathize and empower victims of sexual assault.

I have some Age of Consent (regarding SART exams, court procedings, notification, etc) information for California which I can share with anyone seeking additional information, as well as contacts in different organizations for those interested.