Without considering the actual facts and statistics, many people might assume that sexual abuse is not too widespread of a problem. Sure, people might think, there are a few highly publicized cases every year, but is it really that common of a problem?
There are marked improvements in this regard over the past couple decades, but sexual abuse is still a major problem. And truly, if the problem was reduced to only one instance of sexual abuse every year, it would be one too many. But it is important to understand the scope and depth of the problem of sexual abuse in New York and throughout the country.
Important Statistics On Sexual Abuse
There are some important statistics regarding sexual abuse in the United States:
- The annual number of violent sexual crimes is less than half of what it was in 1993.
- An American is sexually assaulted every 92 seconds on average (that is more than 900 people per day).
- Every nine minutes, the victim is a child (more than 150 child sex abuse victims per day).
- 90% of rape victims are female.*
It is also worth noting that many instances of rape and other forms of sexual abuse go unreported every year.
The Impact Of Sexual Abuse
Victims of sexual abuse suffer physically and emotionally, with affects that include:
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Physical injuries
The Road To Healing And Justice
The first priority is to continue working to minimize instances of sex abuse in our culture. In the meantime, sex abuse victims need to know that there is opportunity for justice and compensation and there is hope. Talk with an experienced attorney to understand your rights and options.
*These statistics were taken from https://www.rainn.org/, a valuable resource for sex abuse victims.