Did you know that there are around 321,500 victims (ages 12 and older) of sexual assault or rape in the US every year? That means a person is being sexually assaulted every 98 seconds.
98 seconds.
Count out 98 seconds. That's about the time it takes to make a K-Cup in your Keurig. That's around the same time it takes me to walk to my mailbox and back.
In light of recent news with Harvey Weinstein, Alyssa Milano reached out to Twitter to ask anyone to reply "Me too" if they had ever been sexually assaulted or raped. In 24 hours, Facebook had 12 million mentions and 650,000 tweets had included #metoo. Stars such as Jennifer Lawerence, Reese Witherspoon, and many others have disclosed their sexual assault stories. This doesn't just happen in Hollywood, yet this is a global problem.
When I read this, I was in shock that so many people had been affected by sexual assault and rape, so I looked up the statistics. Just think about these as I go.
1/6 women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime. 1/10 men have also been sexually assaulted. 82% of female sexual assault victims are under 18. 33% contemplate suicide. 13% attempt it. 94% develop PTSD from the experience.
Even scarier, out of 1,000 perpetrators, 310 are reported. 57 are arrested. 11 are referred to prosecutors and 6 are incarcerated. Out of 1,000 sexual assaults, only 6 people get justice for their trauma.
These Tweets and Facebook posts are doing more than just enlightening us about what fast food place someone went to for lunch. The "Me Too" hashtag is as simple as a few words, or details about the assault.
But why are tweets like this so important? Personally, I know lots of young girls who are victims of sexual assault or rape. Statistically, 59% of perpetrators are acquaintances of the victims. 34% are members of the victim's families. The more tweets and brave people that stand up, the more room we give for victims to stand up too.
There is comfort in numbers.
It's sickening that sexual assault against men and women are happening in such large numbers and it goes so unreported. It wasn't until the Me Too hashtag that a lot of women came out about their assaults. Most of them have been carrying it around for years. People who have been sexually assaulted are four times more likely to use hard drugs.
Four times more likely.
Victims are in your neighborhood, colleges, schools, churches, etc. Sexual assault is not gender, race, religion specific. Sexual assault can happen to anyone. So, what do we do from here? How can we help?
Speak up, support, and teach. It's that simple. If you have been a victim of sexual assault, know it is not your fault. You are not responsible for their horrific actions. Speaking up can create a new wave of understanding in the world. Also, support is key. Never victim blame. They are not the reason a person decided to commit sexual assault.
Teach these lessons. The more education about sexual assault that is out in the world, the more likely things will change.
Obviously, the laws are not in favor of victims currently, but when we talk about sexual assault, we take the power away from the perp and give it back to the victim.
Sexual assault can be different in certain states and different by gender. Sadly, each state is different in how they handle sexual assault, but RAINN.org sheds a light on what sexual assault means. (RAINN.org is the source of all statistics.)
