According to the American Psychological Association, sexual abuse is unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent. Sexual abuse can also be referred to as molestation, rape and sexual assault. It involves behavior that is sexual in nature, unwanted, unwelcomed and forced upon one person by an attacker or assailant. Typically, when the abuse occurs as an isolated incident or one that occurs randomly or infrequently, the incident is classified as sexual assault. When the abuse is prolonged, predatory, ongoing and repetitive in nature, the classification is sexual abuse or molestation. The person who is being abused is known as the victim, while the person who inflicts the abuse, is known as the perpetrator, offender or molester.
Additional Sexual Assault Statistics
- Nearly 91% of sexual assaults are perpetrated against women with 9% being perpetrated against men.
- Roughly 1 in 10 women report being raped by a close or intimate partner at some point during the relationship.
- Nearly 8 out of every 10 rape cases are reportedly carried out by a person the victim knew and is presumably comfortable around.
- It is estimated that 1 in 45 men were forced to penetrate a partner.
- 8% of incidents take place while a victim is at work.
- Approximately one-third of sexual assault victims who reported the occurrences before the age of 18 were attacked again during adulthood.