Sexual Assault Awareness Month | A YAC Student Blog

Keerstin Farson-Mantor is a Freshman at Tree of Life Christian School and active member of the CMAF’s Youth Advisory Council.

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Sexual assault is an act in which a person intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent. Every 73 seconds a human is assaulted, and every 9 minutes that person is a child. Only 5 out of every 1,000 assailants are put in jail for their crimes. Over the age of twelve, 433,648 Americans are assaulted each year.

Who is at the highest risk?

Native Americans are at the greatest risk for sexual violence. The majority of these assaults are committed by strangers. Following are teens and bisexuals. Bisexual women are at high risk for being raped by their partner and with teens, it is often by someone they know. Unexpectedly, there are many assaults in the military and often are unreported. In 2018, estimated 20,500 members of the Department of Defense experienced assault.  

Sexual assault statistics

• Majority of victims are of the age 12-34

• 82% of underage victims are female

• 90% of adults are women

• Only 2-10% of rape claims are false

• 93% of perpetrators know their victims

• People with disabilities are twice as likely to become a victim

What to do to prevent sexual assault

• Be aware of your surroundings

• Walk in groups (especially at night or in alleys)

• Have a responsible DD from parties or call campus police for a ride in college if drinking

• Only wear one earpiece when running with volume low or none at all

• Don’t walk in places alone looking at your phone

• Be on a call with a family member or friend when by yourself on a walk or parking lot with few people

What parents should do for their kids to keep them safe

• Work on communication and handling emotions

• Practice and model safe dating and healthy relationships with your significant other

• Discuss sexual behavior with your children

• Make your child aware of this issue because some children don’t even understand or realize they are being abused

What to do after being assaulted

• Look for safety and support from friends and family

• Seek medical care even if it is the last thing you want to do for the following reasons:

• To collect evidence of the rape (victims should not shower, bathe, eat, drink, smoke, clean up, urinate, or change clothes)

• To make sure you do not have an STI

• Uncovers physical harm you may not even know about

• Address and process the incident… DO NOT ignore it

• Discuss filing a sexual assault claim

Most importantly, if you feel you are in trouble or were sexually assaulted, and call 911 or the sexual assault hotline: 800-656-HOPE for free and confidential help.