LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC women, and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, experiencing sexual violence at extremely high rates.

So, what is sexual violence? It is any unwanted sexual activity perpetrated against someone’s will and without their consent, often based in power and control over another person. A person may use force, threats, manipulation, or other forms of coercion to commit sexual violence. Sexual violence can happen to people of all identities and can be perpetrated by people of all identities. Most sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim: a friend, a dating partner, a spouse, a coworker, a family member, an acquaintance, etc.

There are many different types of sexual violence, including: rape, unwanted sexual contact, child sexual abuse, non-consensual image sharing, sexual harassment, incest, sexual exploitation/trafficking, exposure to sexually explicit material/images, and voyeurism.

Sexual violence can have lasting impacts on people. In fact, in a meta-analysis published in Trauma, Violence & Abuse, involving 2,106 sexual assault survivors, researchers found that 81 percent of sexual assault survivors had significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) one week after the assault and 75 percent of sexual assault survivors met the criteria for the disorder one month afterward. In addition to PTSD, many other physical and mental health challenges are associated with sexual violence, such as depression, anxiety, heart disease and cancer.

Many of our cultural attitudes and beliefs about sexuality and relationships create a lot of shame or stigma, which can lead to misinformation or misconceptions about sexual violence. This is why sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes in our country. Many people fear not being believed or taken seriously, or fear being blamed for their own victimization. Sexual violence is never the victim’s fault. There is no excuse for sexual violence: no one is entitled to violate anyone under any circumstances.

At The Center for Empowerment and Education, we believe all victims and survivors of sexual violence deserve to be supported. We provide no-cost services including counseling, crisis intervention including accompaniments to the hospital, advocacy services in the court and police departments, shelter, prevention education, and more.

There is no right or wrong way to feel after experiencing sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs support, our no-cost and confidential hotlines are available 24/7.

Domestic Violence Hotline (203)731-5206

Sexual Assault Hotline (203)731-5204

Sources:

1. Basile KC, Smith SG, Kresnow M, Khatiwada S, & Leemis RW. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Sexual Violence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Emily R. Dworkin, Anna E. Jaffe, Michele Bedard-Gilligan, and Skye Fitzpatrick. PTSD in the Year Following Sexual Assault: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies. Authors searched four databases for prospective studies published before April 2020 and sought relevant unpublished data.

The Center for Empowerment & Education Chief Program Officer Cara During wrote this article.