She went to bed each night terrified at what she knew was coming. She awoke each morning praying that no one would discover her secret. Survivors Brandi's sexual assault gives her something in common with one out of every five women in the nation. That's if you believe the numbers. If you believe the people who compile the numbers, it may be one out of every four, or even three women, because of the estimated number of unreported cases.
Survivors tend to have a lot in common.
Most are female, but every year more and more men come forward. Fifty-one percent of victims are age 17 or younger. Nearly 80 percent know their attacker. Roughly a third will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Collectively, they are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than someone who has not been assaulted.