In the United States, nearly every 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.

• Every minute 32 people experience intimate partner violence in the United States.
• 1 in 4 men in the United States has endured severe physical violence from an intimate partner.
• Over 47% of women have encountered contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

The theme "Together We Act, United We Change" highlights the importance of working together to address and prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. This campaign focuses on enhancing public understanding of sexual violence, amplifying the voices of survivors, and empowering us to work together to promote the safety and well-being of others. Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect. When our workplaces, schools, and communities work together to uphold safety and respect, we make progress in preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.

Acting With Purpose

Education is the first step to action, empowering our communities to be part of the solution. This campaign works to shift the ways our communities understand, talk about, and respond to sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. We can challenge harmful misconceptions and foster safer communities by learning and acting together. This campaign also seeks to unite us in uplifting the voices of survivors—particularly those most vulnerable in our communities—to build a stronger movement. This campaign aims to develop a movement where younger generations feel included and encouraged to participate and shape a better future.

Together, we act with purpose! United, we have the power to change the world for the better.

Understanding Sexual Abuse, Assault, and Harassment

Sexual violence impacts everyone. Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, and people who commit sexual abuse, assault, and harassment exist in all of our communities. This underscores why it's important for all of us to care about sexual violence and take steps to promote the safety and well-being of others.

Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any type of unwanted sexual contact — including sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.

Forms of sexual violence include:

• Rape or sexual assault
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual abuse
• Unwanted sexual contact/touching
• Sexual exploitation and trafficking,
• Exposing one’s genitals or naked body to others without consent,
• Nonconsensual image sharing and/or coercion (including AI-generated imagery)
• Words and actions of a sexual nature against a person’s will and without their consent

Statistics show:

• Over 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing contact sexual violence (Chen, et al., 2023).
• More than 1 and 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the United States were raped in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).
• 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).
• More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3%) have experienced violence in their lifetime (Rosay, 2016).
• 32.9% of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence (Tomsa et al., 2021).

References

Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Kresnow, M., Khatiwada S., & Leemis, R. W. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 report on sexual violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/nisvsreportonsexualviolence.pdf Chen, J., Khatiwada, S., Chen, M. S., Smith, S. G., Leemis, R. W., Friar, N., Basile, K. C., and Kresnow, M. (2023). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017: Report on Victimization by Sexual Identity. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention Institute & National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2021). A Health Equity Approach to Preventing Sexual Violence. https://www.nsvrc.org/resource/2500/health-equity-approach-preventing-sexual-violence Rosay, A. B. (2016, September). Violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men,. NIJ Journal, 277. National Institute of Justice. http://nij.gov/journals/277/Pages/violence-againstamerican-indians-alaska-natives.aspx Tomsa, R., Gutu, S., Cojocaru, D., Gutiérrez-Bermejo, B., Flores, N., & Jenaro, C. (2021). Prevalence of sexual abuse in adults with intellectual disability: Systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1980. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041980

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Read more ...

Step Forward Quick Facts!