1 in 5 Rapes on Campus True or False

Sexual violence (SV) refers to sexual activity when consent is not obtained or not freely given. SV impacts every community and affects people of all genders, sexual orientations, and ages. Anyone can experience SV, but most victims are female.

SV affects millions of people each year in the United States. The official numbers are likely an underestimate because many cases go unreported. Victims may be ashamed, embarrassed, or afraid to tell the police, friends, or family about the violence.

SV impacts health in many ways and can lead to short and long-term physical and mental health problems. This is why CDC focuses on preventing SV before it happens. Changing social norms, teaching skills, empowering girls and women, and creating protective environments can help reduce SV.  We all have a role to play in prevention.

Parents, school staff, other caring adults can:

• Teach skills to prevent SV.

• • Help youth build positive communication skills, including conflict resolution and how to handle emotions in a healthy way.
  • Practice and model healthy, safe dating and intimate relationships to teach youth dating and relationship skills.
    • Check out CDC's Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships . There are parent programs as well as a training for educators.
  • Promote healthy sexuality by discussing topics like sexual behavior, sexual communication, respect, and consent.
    • Check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's (NSVRC) external icon "I Ask" video series external icon.

Schools and workplaces can:

• Create protective environments.
  • Improve safety and monitoring in schools by addressing areas where students feel less safe, identifying safe spaces and staff support for students, and create an atmosphere of intolerance for harassment and violence.
  • Establish and apply proactive workplace sexual harassment prevention policies and procedures that include: commitment from top management, zero tolerance, notification to applicants and new hires of harassment-free environments, regular organizational assessments, and consistent, specific training to reduce workplace SV behaviors.

Everyone can:

• Promote social norms that protect against violence.
  • Speak up against sexist language or behaviors that promote violence.
  • Offer to help or support in situations where violence may occur or has occurred
• Support Survivors to Lessen Harms.
  • Know where and how to get help.
    • Victim-centered services like rape crisis centers provide a safe, healing environment where survivors can access resources and victim advocacy.
    • Evidence-based treatments, like Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), can help victims address SV's negative effects, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
    • Treatment for children who may have been exposed to violence in the home or community and are at-risk for violence perpetration or other serious behavioral problems is available. One example is the Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program: School-Age Program (PSB-CBT), which is meant to reduce or eliminate sexual behavior problems.
  • If you are or someone you know is a survivor of SV:
    • Contact the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Help is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Get information at RAINNexternal icon.
    • Contact your local emergency services at 9-1-1.
  • Check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's (NSVRC)external icon Resources for specific audiences:
    • Survivorsexternal icon
    • Friends and Familyexternal icon
    • Advocates and Educatorsexternal icon
    • Media and Pressexternal icon

1 in 5 Rapes on Campus True or False

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/sexual-violence/index.html

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