Sexual Assault Defined

Sexual assault is defined as any non-consensual sexual act which is forced by one or more persons on another. Forms of sexual assault can include rape, sexual harrasment, or any other form of unwanted sexual contact.

The Center offers a 24/7 emergency hotline for victims of sexual assault crimes at 203-333-2233.

Rape and Sexual Harrasment

Rape is a crime of violence and domination in which one person forces, coerces, or manipulates another person into sexual intercourse. There are many forms of rape that can occur. The most common types of rape are date rape, aquaintance rape, statutory rape and drug facilitated rape.

Date Rape occurs when there is forced or coerced sex within a dating relationship. With Aquaintance Rape the act is committed by someone known to the victim. Nearly 2/3 of all victims between the ages of 18 and 29 report that they had a prior relationship with their attacker.

Drug Facilitated Rape is quite common, but not limited to, many college campuses across the United States. This form of rape typically involves the use of a the "date rape drug" (Flunitraepam, Rohypnol, GHB (Liquid E or Liquid G)) and/ or alcohol. According to recent studies, alcohol is the #1 drug used to facilitate a sexual assault. For rape which takes place on campuses, alcohol is being used in 90% of cases.

Statutory Rape is defined as any sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 13; and any sexual intercourse between a person 14 - 15 and a person 2 years older (or more), with or without consent. In the state of Connecticut, under the age of 16 CAN NOT legally consent to sex.

Sexual Harrasment is any unwelcomed or unwanted sexual behavior or pressure which embarrasses, humiliates, or intimidates an individual. Sexual harrasment can be physical, verbal, and even non verbal and visual (such as staring or gestures that are suggestive or sexual).

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Statistics on Sexual Violence

The following statistics are based on national average.

Statistics on Females

• Every 46 seconds an adult woman is raped in US. (National Victim Center & Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center).
• 1 out of 4 women had been victims of rape or attempted rape.
• 70-80% victims of sexual assault knew their perpetrator. (Department of Justice, 1997)
• The National Crime Victimization Survey found that more than 2/3 of rape/sexual assaults committed in the nation remained unreported.
• The National Survey of Adolescents (NSA), a National Institute of Justice found that 9.1% of U.S. adolescents had been victims of at least one sexual assault. This indicates that an estimated 1.8 million 12- to 17-year-olds have been sexually assaulted.

Statistics on Males

• An estimated 92,700 men are forcibly raped each year in the United States. (Tjadn & Thoemmes, 1998)
• Male rape accounted for 8% of all rapes. Crimes including rapes in institutional settings (such as prison, hospitals, or the military) were not measured. (National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice, 1992)
• Most sexual aggression against men or boys is committed by a man they know.
• In 2003, 1 in every 10 rape victims were male. (2003 National Crime Victimization Study)

Statistics on Children

• 1 out of 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted by the time they are 18 years old. (Darkness to Light)
• It’s estimated that there are 60 million survivors of child sexual abuse in America today. (Darkness to Light)
• Up to 90% of child sexual abuse cases are perpetrated by someone the child knows and trusts. (Finkelhor, 1994)
• 88% of child sexual abuse cases are never reported to the authorities. (Finkelhor, 1999)