10 Things You Should Know About Sexual Assault

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) sends their thoughts and prayers to victims who have suffered or are suffering from sexual violence and abuse. SAAM is meant to bring awareness of sexual assault to the American public and educate people on how to prevent it, according to The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). America observed the first SAAM in April 2001, according to the NSVRC’s website. Ever since then, the NSVRC had helped “promote national unity for SAAM activities and encouraged “interaction and feedback from across the nation” in order to “build momentum to prevent sexual violence.”

Sexual assault is a violation of human rights and a major public health concern that affects millions of women, men, and children. Here are 10 things you should know about sexual assault.

1. Sexual assault is “sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim,” according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). Sexual assault includes but is not limited to the following: penetration of the victim’s body (also known as rape), attempted rape, fondling, and forcing a victim to perform sexual acts.
2. Sexual violence can also be non-contact, unwanted sexual experiences such as verbal sexual harassment, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. Sexual violence can be committed by anyone: a family member, a partner or spouse, a friend or acquaintance, a co-worker, a peer, a person in a position of power, a stranger, and so on.
4. Nearly 1 in 5 (18.3%) women and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) reported experiencing rape at some time in their lives, according to the
5. In the United States, 1 in 5 women have experienced completed or attempted rape and about 1 in 15 men have been made to penetrate someone in their lifetime. Most victims first experienced sexual violence before age 25, according to a 2012 study conducted by the CDC.
6. Every 98 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted and every 8 minutes, that victim is a child, according to Only 6 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.
7. Approximately 30% of sexual assault cases and 16% of all rapes are reported to authorities, according to The U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
8. 55% of sexual assaults occur at the victim’s home or near the victim’s home, according to 48% of the victims were sleeping or doing another activity at home.
9. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old, according to
10. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault, according to

You are not alone. If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, please call 911 or contact your local police department and visit your local hospital for immediate medical attention.

Resources:

The Long Beach City Police Department
400 W Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 435-6711

The Signal Hill Police Department
2745 Walnut Ave, Signal Hill, CA 90755
(562) 989-7200

Women Shelter of Long Beach
24 Hour Domestic Violence Hotline  (562) 437-4663
www.womenshelterlb.org

National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE

About American University of Health Sciences

AUHS is a Christian based, minority-serving university, which educates students for careers in the healthcare professions. AUHS emphasizes the values of faith in God, love of humankind, and belief that all people have a right to healthcare and deserve a good quality of life based on wellness of body, mind and spirit. The university celebrates diversity, and reaches out to groups currently underrepresented in healthcare and research. AUHS provides the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, hands-on practical training and supportive environment required to create competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.

American University of Health Sciences is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510.748.9001.

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