Sexual Abuse

Definition

Rape and sexual assault are crimes that involve the use of threats, fear tactics, and/or physical violence to force a child or adolescent to submit to sexual intercourse or to engage in other sexual activity (e.g., oral sex, anal sex).

Description

Rape and sexual assault are violent crimes, and children and adolescents constitute a large number of the victims of these crimes. Rape and sexual assault are defined according to the degree of sexual interaction. Rape and sexual assault can involve contact between the penis and vagina or penis and anus that involves penetration; contact between the mouth and genitals or anus; penetration of the vagina or anus with an object; or direct touching (not through clothing). Sexual assault is defined as intentional touching of the genitals, breasts, buttocks, anus, inner thigh, or groin with no sexual penetration that is forced upon the victim. Rape and sexual assault that recurs is considered sexual abuse. When the perpetrator is a family member, these crimes are also referred to as incest.

Rape and sexual assault are especially traumatic for children and adolescents, who often do not fully understand normal sexual activity. Studies and statistics have shown that adolescence is the riskiest life stage for sexual assault, and the time when the most psychological trauma can result.

Demographics

The 2000 Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics, published by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), analyzed sexual assault data collected by law enforcement agencies over a five-year span. The following characteristics were found to be significant among victims of sexual assault:

• Age: Over two-thirds of reported victims of sexual assault were juveniles under the age of 18. Adolescents aged 12 to 18 years represented the largest group of victims at 33 percent; 20 percent were between the ages of six and 11; children younger than five years old and adults between 18 and 24 years of age each constituted 14 percent of victims. One out of every seven victims surveyed in the study was under the age of six.
• Gender: Females were more than six times more likely to be a victim of sexual assault than males; more than 86 percent of victims were females. The great majority (99%) of the victims of forcible rapes were women, while men constituted the majority (54%) of the victims of forcible sodomy (oral or anal intercourse). Females are most likely to be the victim of sexual assault at age 14, while males are at most risk at age four.
• Location: The residence of the victim was the most commonly noted location of sexual assault (70%). Other common locations included schools, hotels/motels, fields, woods, parking lots, roadways, and commercial/office buildings.

Similar statistics were gathered by the NCJJ regarding the perpetrators of rape and sexual assault. These characteristics included the following:

• Age: Over 23 percent of offenders were under the age of 18; juveniles were more likely to be perpetrators of forcible sodomy and fondling. The remaining 77 percent of offenders were adults and were responsible for 67 percent of juvenile victims. For younger juvenile victims (under the age of 12), juvenile offenders were responsible for approximately 40 percent of assaults.
• Gender: The great majority of all reported offenders were male (96%). The number of female offenders rose for victims under the age of six (12%), in contrast to 6 percent for victims aged six through 12, 3 percent for victims aged 12 through 17, and 1 percent for adult victims.
• Relationship with offender: Approximately 59 percent of offenders were acquaintances of their victims, compared to family members (27%) or strangers (14%). Family members were more likely to be perpetrators against juveniles (34%) than against adults (12%). In contrast, strangers accounted for 27 percent of adult victims and 7 percent of juveniles.
• Past offenses: In 19 percent of juvenile cases, the victim was not the only individual to be assaulted by the offender, compared to only 4 percent of adult cases.

Of particular importance are the number of rapes and sexual assaults that go unreported, especially in adolescents. Although one in five sexual assault reports occurs for adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age, and adolescents between ages 16 and 19 years have the highest rate of reported sexual assault, anonymous school surveys have revealed that only 5 percent of sexually assaulted adolescents actually report the crime to law enforcement.

Content licensed from:

Author Info: Jennifer E. Sisk M.A., Thomson Gale, Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health, 2006

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare provider. Please consult a healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.