Rape can happen to anyone! Rape victims come from all age groups. More than half of all reported rapes involve female victims under the age of 18. However, everyone from young children to the elderly, face the risk. Rape happens to people of all races and cultural backgrounds. Victims are rich, poor, and middle class. Also, rape victims are straight, gay, lesbian, and bisexual.

      Rapists come from all economic and ethnic backgrounds. Most rapes are committed by people the victim knows. It could be a date, acquaintance, co-worker, boss, family member, ex-partner, neighbor, or spouce. Many rapist are married or have sex partners. Some rapists don't know the person they attack. They may observe potential victims and plan the rape, or choose their victims at random. Many rapes are committed by teenagers and young men -- however, people of all ages committ rape!

• An estimated 683,000 adult women are raped each year.
• Every minute in the U.S., there are 1.3 forcible rapes of adult women.
• 78 women are raped each hour.
• Up to 85% of rapes go unreported.
• 29% of all forcible rapes in America occurred when the victim was less then 11 years old.
• 61% of all rapes occurred before the victim reached 18.
• Approximately 75% of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows.
• Of the cases of forcible rape reported in 1993, only 53% led to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator.
• There were approximately 30,000 sexual assaults of males, ages 12 and over, in the U.S. in 1993.
• 98% of rapists are men. 66% of rapists are white, 30% are black, and 4% are other races.
• The rate of recidivism amoung recently released sex offenders from a psychaitric prison was approximately 76%
• The average sentence for a rapist is 17 years in prison, the actual time served is approximately 8 years.
• Out of 1.8 million severe assaults against women in 1991, 45,000 of them were marital rapes.


• Statistics from National Women's Study 1990, National Victim Center 1992, U.S. Department of Justice 1992