Sexual violence happens in every community and affects people of all genders and ages. Sexual violence is any type of unwanted sexual contact. This includes words and actions of a sexual nature against a person’s will and without their consent. A person may use force, threats, manipulation, or coercion to commit sexual violence. Sexual violence may or may not involve force.
Forms of sexual violence include:
There is a social context that surrounds sexual violence. Social norms that condone violence, use power over others, traditional constructs of masculinity and sexuality, the subjugation of women and people who are oppressed, and silence and shame about violence and abuse contribute to the occurrence of sexual violence. Many forms of sexual violence are against the law, and laws differ from state to state. RAINN has a useful tool on laws related to sexual violence by state.
Certain groups of people experience sexual violence at higher rates than others. Oppression is the root cause of sexual violence. People who commit acts of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault may target people who have less power in society such as people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. This in turn can make it harder for people to report sexual violence or get help (Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect [PCAR], 2024).
Sexual violence is preventable through collaborations of community members at multiple levels of society—in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, faith settings, workplaces, and other settings. We all play a role in preventing sexual violence and establishing norms of respect, safety, equality, and helping others.
Consent is when someone gives permission for something to happen or when they agree to do something. Consent must be freely given and must be an informed choice. A person can change their mind at any time. Giving consent one time does not automatically mean the person is consenting to the same activity later on. Consent is more than a yes or no. In the context of sexual activity, it is an ongoing dialogue about desires, needs, and level of comfort with different sexual interactions. The legal definition of consent is determined on a state-by-state basis.
Victims of sexual violence include people of all ages, races, genders, and religions — with and without disabilities. It can also impact people throughout their lifespan.
For more statistics around sexual violence, see our Statistics page.
People who sexually abuse usually target someone they know.
Most sexual assaults are not reported to police. Most often, survivors disclose to friends, family, and other trusted individuals rather than reporting to law enforcement. A person may choose not to report to law enforcement or tell anyone about a victimization they experienced for many reasons. The legal system is not a place where survivors often find justice and can often be retraumatizing.
The impact of sexual violence extends beyond the individual survivor and reaches all of society.
An assault may impact a survivor’s daily life no matter when it happened. Each survivor reacts to sexual violence in their own way and healing and justice looks different for each survivor. Healing is an ongoing process, and everyone heals in their own way. Common emotional reactions include guilt, shame, fear, numbness, shock, and feelings of isolation.
Physical impacts may include personal injuries, concerns about pregnancy, or risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. Economic impacts of sexual violence include medical and other expenses in addition to things like time off work. The long-term psychological effects survivors may face include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, isolation, and others.
Sexual violence can affect parents, friends, partners, children, spouses, and/or coworkers of the survivor. As they try to make sense of what happened, loved ones may experience similar reactions and feelings to those of the survivor such as fear, guilt, self-blame, and anger. As survivors often know the person who sexually assaulted them, relationships may change based on disclosures of sexual violence.
Schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, campuses, and cultural or religious communities may feel fear, anger, or disbelief when sexual assault happens in their community. Violence of all kinds destroys a sense of safety and trust. There are financial costs to communities including medical services, criminal justice expenses, crisis and mental health service fees, and the lost contributions of individuals affected by sexual violence.
The contributions and achievements that may never come as a result of sexual violence represent a cost to society that cannot be measured. Sexual violence weakens the basic pillars of safety and trust that people long to feel in their communities because it creates an environment of fear and oppression.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that individual victims of sexual violence incur $122,461 over a lifetime in costs associated with lost wages, health, criminal justice, and property damage (Peterson et al., 2017). Additional research shows that sexual violence can derail a person’s education and employment, resulting in a $241,600 income loss over a lifetime (MacMillan, 2000).
Sexual assault and the related trauma response can disrupt survivors’ employment in several ways, including time off, diminished performance, job loss, and inability to work (Loya, 2014). Indirect costs for employers include decreased productivity, higher turnover, and reputation damage.
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. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/nisvsReportonSexualViolence.pdf
Loya, R. M. (2014). Rape as an economic crime: The impact of sexual violence on survivor’s employment and economic well-being. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 30(16), 2793-2813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514554291
MacMillan, R. (2000). Adolescent victimization and income deficits in adulthood: Rethinking the costs of criminal violence from a life-course perspective. Criminology, 38(2), 553-588. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2000.tb00899.x
Peterson, C., DeGue, S., Florence, C., & Lokey, C. N. (2017). Lifetime economic burden of rape among U.S. adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 52(6), 691-701. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2016.11.014