Journalist Tip Sheet


Reporting on Sexual Violence: Tips for Journalists

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time when many journalists cover sexual violence 
from a variety of news angles. With the #MeToo movement shining an unprecedented spotlight on 
this complex societal issue, it is a critical opportunity for informed news coverage to advance the 
public conversation. Below are best practices and story ideas for writing about sexual violence, 
which impacts one in five women and one in 67 men in their lifetime (Smith et al., 2017). 


www.nsvrc.org/saam #saam

Statistics ABouT SexuaL VIolence In the U.S.
 
• One in five women and one in 67 men will be raped at some point in their lives (Smith et al., 2017).

• In eight out of 10 rape cases, the victim knew the person who sexually assaulted them (Black et al., 2011).

• Nearly one in two women and one in five men have experienced sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime (Miller, 
Cohen, & Wiersema, 1996).

• By the time people were 17 years old, 57 percent of women and 42 percent of men had experienced some form of sexual abuse 
(Kearl, 2018).

• Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police (Rennison, 2002).

• Despite misconceptions, the prevalence of false reporting for sexual assault crimes is low - between two percent and 10 percent 
(National Sexual Violence Resource Center [NSVRC], 2012).

• Forty-six percent of lesbians, 74 percent of bisexual women, 43 percent of heterosexual women, 40 percent of gay men, 47 
percent of bisexual men, and 20 percent of heterosexual men reported experiencing sexual violence other than rape during 
their lifetimes (Black et al., 2011).

• Only 48 percent of men view verbal harassment as sexual assault, and only 67 percent of men say “sexual intercourse where 
one of the partners is pressured to give their consent” is sexual assault (NSVRC, 2017).

For more information, please contact the NSVRC media office at media@nsvrc.org. Learn more about Sexual Assault Awareness 
Month and national efforts to prevent sexual violence at www.nsvrc.org/saam. Use #SAAM to increase the reach of articles 
during April.

About NSVRC
 
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent 
and respond to sexual violence. NSVRC translates research and trends into best practices that help individuals, communities, 
and service providers to achieve real and lasting change. The center also works with the media to promote informed reporting. 
Every April, NSVRC leads Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a campaign to educate and engage the public in addressing 
this widespread issue. NSVRC is also one of the three founding organizations of Raliance, a national, collaborative initiative 
dedicated to ending sexual violence in one generation. 


REFERENCES

Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., ... Stevens, M. R. (2011). National Intimate Partner 
And Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 summary report. Retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National 
Center for Injury Prevention and Control: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf 

Kearl, H. (2018). The facts behind the #metoo movement: A national study on sexual harassment and assault. Retrieved from Stop 
Street Harassment: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-
Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf 

Miller, T. R., Cohen, M. A., & Wiersema, B. (1996). Victim costs and consequences: A new look (NCJ 155282). Retrieved from the 
National Criminal Justice Reference Service: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/victcost.pdfNational Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2012). False reporting: Overview. Retrieved from 
http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf 

National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2017). New data reveals high awareness among U.S. adults on what constitutes sexual 
assault [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.nsvrc.org/news/press-releases/new-data-reveals-high-awareness-among-
us-adults-what-constitutes-sexual-assault 

Rennison, C. M. (2002). Rape and sexual assault: Reporting to police and medical attention, 1992-2000 (NCJ 194530). Retrieved 
from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics: 
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsarp00.pdf

Smith, S. G., Chen, J., Basile, K. C., Gilbert, L. K., Merrick, M. T., Patel, N., … Jain, A. (2017). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual 
Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010-2012 state report. Retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center 
for Injury Prevention and Control: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook.pdf



© 2018 National Sexual Violence Resource Center. All Rights Reserved.

www.nsvrc.org/saam #saam