Sexual Violence

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

Division of Violence Prevention

Facts at a Glance 2012

Adults

In a nationally representative survey of adults:1

•	 Nearly 1 in 5 (18.3%) women and 1 in 71 men

(1.4%) reported experiencing rape at some time in

their lives.

•	 Approximately 1 in 20 women and men (5.6% and

5.3%, respectively) experienced sexual violence

other than rape, such as being made to penetrate

someone else, sexual coercion, unwanted

sexual contact, or non-contact unwanted sexual

experiences, in the 12 months prior to the survey.

•	 4.8% of men reported they were made to penetrate

someone else atsome time in their lives.

•	 13% of women and 6% of men reported they

experienced sexual coercion at some time in their

lives.

College Age

•	 In a nationally representative survey of adults,

37.4% of female rape victims were first raped

between ages 18-24.1

•	 In a study of undergraduate women, 19%

experienced attempted or completed sexual

assault since entering college.2

In a nationally representative survey:1

•	 42.2% of female rape victims were first raped

before age 18.

•	 29.9% of female rape victims were first raped

between the ages of 11-17.

•	 12.3% female rape victims and 27.8% of male rape

victims were first raped when they were age 10 or

younger.

Children and Youth

A 2011 survey of high school students found that

11.8% of girls and 4.5% of boys from grades 9-12

reported that they were forced to have sexual

intercourse at some time in their lives.3

Perpetrators

In a nationally representative survey:1

• 	 Among female rape victims, perpetrators were

reported to be intimate partners (51.1%), family

members (12.5%), acquaintances (40.8%) and

strangers (13.8%).

•	 Among male rape victims, perpetrators were

reported to be acquaintances (52.4%) and

strangers (15.1%).

•	 Among male victims who were made to penetrate

someone else, perpetrators were reported to be

intimate partners (44.8%), acquaintances (44.7%)

and strangers (8.2%).

Health Disparities

•	 Among high school students, 12.5% of American

Indian/Alaska Natives, 10.5% of Native Hawaiian/

Pacific Islander students, 8.6% of black students,

8.2% of Hispanic students, 7.4% of white students,

and 13.5% of multiple-race students reported that

they were forced to have sexual intercourse at

some time in their lives.3

•	 Among adult women surveyed in 2010, 26.9%

of American Indian/Alaska Natives, 22% of nonHispanic blacks, 18.8% of non-Hispanic whites,

14.6% of Hispanics, and 35.5% of women of

multiple races experienced an attempted or a

completed rape at some time in their lives.1
Sexual Violence Facts at a Glance

Non-fatal Injuries, Medical Treatment, 

and Health conditions

• 	 Among sexual violence victims raped since their

18th birthday, 31.5% of women and 16.1% of men

reported a physical injury as a result of a rape.

36.2% of injured female victims received medical

treatment.4

•	 During 2004-2006, an estimated 105,187 females

and 6,526 males aged 10-24 years received

medical care in U.S. emergency departments as a

result of nonfatal injuries sustained from a sexual

assault.5

•	 Based on 2005 data from the Behavioral Risk

Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), for both

women and men, links were found between

history of nonconsensual sex and high

cholesterol, stroke and heart disease; female

victims of nonconsensual sex were more likely to

report heart attack and heart disease compared to

non-victims.6

•	 Rape results in about 32,000 pregnancies each

year.7

•	 Among female victims of partner violence who

filed a protective order, 68% reported they were

raped by their intimate partner and 20% reported

a rape-related pregnancy.8

References

1. 	 Black MC, Basile KC, Breiding MJ, Smith SG, Walters ML, Merrick

MT, Chen J, Stevens MR. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual

Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention; 2011.

2. 	 Krebs CP, Linquist CH, Warner TD, Fisher BS, Martin SL. College

women’s experiences with physically forced, alcohol- or other

drug-enabled, and drug-facilitated sexual assault before and

since entering college. Journal of American College Health 2009;

57(6):639-647.

3. 	 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1991-2011 High

School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at http://apps.

nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline. Accessed on 8/24/2012.

4.	 Tjaden P, Thoennes N. Extent, nature, and consequences of rape

victimization: Findings from the National Violence Against Women

Survey. Washington: US Department of Justice; Publication No.

NCJ210346; 2006.

5.	 CDC. Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10-24 years

—United States, 2002-2007. MMWR 2009; 58(ss06):1-58. Available

from: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5806a1.htm

6. 	 Smith SG. Breiding MJ. Chronic disease and health behaviours

linked to experiences of non-consensual sex among women and

men. Public Health 2011; 125:653-659.

7. 	 Holmes MM, Resnick HS, Kilpatrick DG, Best CL. Rape-related

pregnancy: estimates and descriptive characteristics from a

national sample of women. American Journal of Obstetrics and

Gynecology 1996; 175:320-324.

8. 	 McFarlane J, Malecha A, Watson K, Gist J, Batten E, Hall I, & Smith

S. Intimate partner sexual assault against women: Frequency,

health consequences & treatment outcomes. Obstetrics and

Gynecology 2005; 105(1):99-108.

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) • cdcinfo@cdc.gov • www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention