Site Content

Sexual Assault Facts

Sexual Assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact obtained without consent and/or obtained through the use of force, threat of force, intimidation or coercion.

Statistics

A 2000 National Survey of College Women (US Justice Department) found that:

  • A projected 20-25% of college women are victims of rape or attempted rape during their college years.
  • 90% of the offenders were known to the victim, most often a boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance or coworker.

According to the National Violence Against Women Survey conducted in 2000:

  • An estimated 14.8% of adult women in the United States had been raped sometime during their lives and that another 2.8% had been victims of attempted rape.
  • More than half of the sexual assault crimes were committed by friends or acquaintances, and another quarter of the sexual assaults were committed by an intimate partner.
  • Strangers were found responsible for only one in five rapes.

What Men Should Know About Rape:

It is NEVER Ok to force yourself on a woman, even if:

  • She teases or flirts with you
  • She dresses provocatively or leads you on
  • She says “no” and you think that she means, “yes”
  • You have been intimate before
  • You have paid for dinner
  • She is under the influence of alcohol or drugs

What Women Should Know About Rape:

  • Know your intentions and limits. You have the right to say NO to any unwanted sexual contact!
  • Communicate your limits firmly and directly.  Say NO like you mean it.  Be careful of mixed messages.
  • Attend parties with large groups of friends you can trust.  Agree to look out for one another.  Try to leave with a group, rather than someone you do not know very well.
  • Remember, if you are raped it is NEVER your fault.

What to Do If You Are Raped:

  • Get to a safe place
  • Call 911 to obtain police protection
  • Seek medical help from Student Health Services (336.758.5218),
    Baptist (336.713.9000), or Forsyth (336.718.2001) Hospitals.
  • Prior to seeking medical help:
    • Do not take a shower
    • Do not change your clothes
    • Do not use medications unless necessary
    • If possible do not urinate
  • Seek a friend you can trust to be with you
  • On or off campus call the Wake Forest University Advocacy and Support Services at 336.758.4963 (if after hours call 336.758.5591) and tell them you need an Advocate.
  • Obtain counseling at the University Counseling Center 336.758.5273, for emergencies after hours contact Student Health 336.758.5218.

Helpful Links

Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)

Impact of Sexual Violence Fact Sheet [PDF]

Violence Against Women Office Online Resources Facts on Sexual Assault [PDF]