How to Teach Kids About Sexual Assault

Although the reported rate of rape and sexual assault has declined by almost 85% since the 1970s, this doesn’t mean that sexual assault awareness and prevention education is no longer needed. Every two and one-half minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. Sexual assault victims are primarily the young: 44% of them are under 18 and 80% are under 30. This article profiles a number of sexual assault prevention programs.

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New Child Trends Data Bank Information

Drunk Driving – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young drivers (15- to 20-year-olds). In 2002, 24% of young drivers who were killed in an automobile accident had been drinking and were legally intoxicated.

Adolescents Who Have Ever Been Raped – in 2005, more than one out of ten (11%) high school females reported having been raped at some point in her life. Sexual assault and rape are crimes that disproportionately affect females and young adults between the ages of 12 and 24. Adolescents and young adults are two to three times more likely than adults age 25 and older to be raped or sexually assaulted. 

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Drop in U.S. Rape Cases

The number of rapes per capita in the United States has plunged by more than 85% since the 1970s and reported rape fell last year even while other violent offenses increased, according to federal crime data.  The huge reduction in sexual violence has been so consistent over the past two decades that some experts say they have started to believe it is accurate, even if they cannot fully explain why it is occurring.

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Sexual Assault Awareness Month

• According to data reported to law enforcement agencies in 2000 and 2001, seven in ten sexual assault victims known to law enforcement were juveniles under age 18.
• Nearly half of these juvenile victims were under age 12.
• Juveniles perpetrated approximately half the sexual assaults against male juvenile victims and a third of those against female juvenile victims.
• Data reported to state child protective services agencies indicate that in 2003 10% of child maltreatment victims (90,000 juveniles) were victims of sexual abuse.