Data

Sexual Assault by the Numbers

Just how bad of a problem is sexual assault? The reality is that we don’t definitively know; the available data can not begin to paint the complete picture of the scope of the problem. Why? Because most of the numbers we have reflect the number of crimes reported to law enforcement. But, sexual assault is one of those crimes that is still so misunderstood; we know that many victims are not reporting – either because they are ashamed, feel the assault was somehow their fault, are worried about consequences to their perpetrator (who all too often is someone known to the victim and/or an intimate partner), or because they feel that what happened was just “normal” and wasn’t a crime at all.

In partnership with state agencies and the service providers we represent, WCASA is working toward a more comprehensive picture of sexual violence in Wisconsin. It is an ongoing process, and we intend to update the content here as soon as information is available.

Wisconsin

• Office of Justice Assistance (OJA) Justice Statistics document library page (scroll down for Sexual Assault reports):
  • 2010 Sexual Assaults in Wisconsin
• ALICE database – learn more about Alice

• WI Department of Public Instruction Youth Risk Behavior Survey

• Children’s Trust Fund - Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in Wisconsin Report
• get a quick glance of national data via the
  ACE Infographic

National 

NISVS – National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 

In December, 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2010 Report from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). The report provides insight into the prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence across the county, and in Wisconsin. The survey shows that more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

For information from the CDC please review resources available through the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC):

• Summary 
• Fact Sheet 
• Toolkit  (the toolkit provides information on the survey methodology, best ways to interpret and use the data, tips for working with media, and answers to frequently-asked questions)

Recent Research:

New Study of 1,430 7th-Grader Students Reports Teen Dating Violence Behaviors and Risk Factors Occurring among Middle School Students. Prevention in Middle School Matters a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Published: Mar 29, 2012