Acquaintance rape is particularly common among adolescent victims. The majority of sexual assault victims are young. Women with a history of rape or attempted rape during adolescence are almost twice as likely to experience a sexual assault during college, and were three times as likely to be victimized by a husband. As is true of other violent crimes, it is difficult to get accurate estimates of the incidence of sexual assault. Many factors contribute to underreporting, including embarrassment, fear of further injury, and fear of court procedures that, too often, scrutinize and judge the victim's behavior and history.
Sexual assaults can and do occur within marital relationships.
Most often, these assaults occur within a context of ongoing domestic violence. While reports and prosecutions of spousal rape are fairly infrequent, some convictions have occurred. Several sociocultural influences contribute to the incidence and prevalence of sexual assault. Some victims of attacks meeting the legal definition of rape do not label their experience as sexual assault. Male rape victims may feel that others will question their sexuality if they report the incident or that they, in fact, subconsciously desired and complied with their assault.