Facts & Statistics: Sexual Violence in America

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline

5.5M people have reached out to RAINN.

Since 1994, RAINN’s victim service programs have helped more than 5.5 million survivors and their loved ones affected by sexual violence. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), “RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline: Assessment of Chat and Text Channels, 2025” (June 2026).

The Scope of Sexual Violence

443,634 rapes & sexual assaults occur yearly in the U.S.

An estimated 443,634 rapes and sexual assaults are perpetrated every year in the U.S. against people age 12 and older. This is the total number of victimizations—not individual victims. It is not uncommon for someone to experience sexual violence more than once. ¹Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Criminal Victimization, 2024” (September 2025)

The Scope of Sexual Violence

800+ people experience sexual assault every day in the U.S.

An estimated 301,580 people ages 12 and up are harmed by sexual violence every year in the U.S., according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. That’s 826 people every day.

Many of these survivors are victimized more than once. Children, in particular, face an increased risk of repeat, ongoing sexual abuse. ¹Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Criminal Victimization, 2024”, September 2025.

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics

At least 56,575 children are sexually abused every year.

That’s according to U.S. child protective services records.

The number is staggering—yet it only reflects child sexual abuse that is recognized, reported, and found likely to have occurred against children ages 0-17.

The reality is that sexual violence affects more children than any single data source can show. ¹U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, “Child Maltreatment 2020-2024”, 2026

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics

Half of reported rape victims are children or teens.

FBI crime data shows that 51% of reported rape is perpetrated against people ages 0-19.

That’s approximately 61,754 young rape victims every year, including our most vulnerable children, adolescents navigating middle and high school, and young adults just beginning to move through the world with more independence.

These data make one thing clear: education about body safety, consent, and how to report harm must start early, continue through adolescence, and remain available to survivors at every age. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics

1 in 3 child victims isn’t even old enough for social media.

Today, social media platforms commonly require users to be at least 13 years old. When most children are creating their first social media posts, some have already been sexually abused—sometimes repeatedly, and almost always by someone they know.

41% of the kids who survive child sexual abuse are ages 0-11. 

The youngest are infants; the oldest is in 5th or 6th grade.

59% of survivors of child sexual abuse are ages 12-17. 

The youngest have just started middle school, while the oldest may have just gotten their driver’s licenses.

At every developmental stage, children who are sexually abused experience serious harm and require specialized support. ¹U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, “Child Maltreatment 2022” (2024)

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics

Girls are targeted—& the risk increases as they grow up.

When child sexual abuse is identified by child protective services agencies, the victims are usually girls. That pattern appears in early childhood and becomes even more pronounced during adolescence.

Girls account for 70% of identified sexual abuse victims ages 0-11.

Among victims ages 12-17, girls account for 89%.

These numbers show why prevention, recognition, and support must reach girls early and continue through every stage of adolescence. ¹U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, “Child Maltreatment 2022” (2024)

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics

The youngest boys need the most protection.

Most identified victims of child sexual abuse are girls, but boys also experience serious harm. Child protective services records show that boys make up a larger share of identified victims among younger children than among teenagers.

According to child protective services records, boys account for 30% of sexual abuse victims ages 0-11.

Among victims ages 12-17, boys account for 11%.

Every child harmed by sexual abuse deserves protection, support, and specialized care. ¹U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, “Child Maltreatment 2022” (2024)

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline

On RAINN’s hotline, 72% of children disclose ongoing abuse.

Many children reach out to RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline while the abuse is still happening. 

They may be living with the person harming them, seeing that person regularly, or trying to understand how to ask for help without making the situation worse.

7 in 10 children who contact RAINN’s hotline disclose current, ongoing, repeated sexual violence.

When a child reaches out, they need more than a listening ear. They need safety, support, and a trusted path toward protection. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), “2025 Annual Report on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) Visitors”, (May 2026)

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline

On RAINN’s hotline, 40% of adults report child sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse can affect survivors long after childhood ends. Some adults reach out for support months, years, or even decades after the abuse happened, when they are ready to talk, ask questions, make a safety plan, or begin another step in their healing.

4 in 10 adult hotline visitors seek support for past child sexual abuse.

Healing does not follow a deadline. Survivors deserve support whenever they are ready to reach out. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), “2025 Annual Report on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) Visitors”, (May 2026)

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline

2x as many kids are seeking help for online sexual abuse.

Children are not just encountering sexual abuse online. More than ever, they are turning to RAINN for help understanding what happened, what to do next, and how to stay safe.

In 2020, fewer than 1 in 20 children who contacted RAINN discussed tech-enabled sexual abuse.

By 2025, that number had more than doubled to nearly 1 in 10.

The increase shows how quickly online abuse is reaching children—and why support, prevention, and platform accountability must move just as quickly. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), “RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH): Statistics for TESA & Kids, 2025” (June 2026)

Sexual Violence Against Women

89% of victims of reported rape are girls & women.

Sexual violence can happen to anyone, but police files show that reported rape overwhelmingly involves female victims.

Nationwide, female victims experience nearly 9 in 10 reported rapes.

These numbers make clear why prevention, accountability, and survivor support must address the disproportionate harm experienced by girls and women, while recognizing that every survivor deserves care. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Sexual Violence Against Women

Nearly 2 in 3 U.S. women experience sexual harassment.

For many women, sexual harassment is not rare, distant, or limited to one setting. It can happen at work, on the street, on public transportation, at a bar, in a store, or anywhere someone uses sexual comments, gestures, or intimidation to make another person feel exposed, unsafe, or powerless.

During their lifetimes, 60% of U.S. women are verbally sexually harassed at work or in public.

No one should have to treat sexual harassment as part of working, commuting, socializing, or moving through public life. ¹Leemis RW, Zhang Kudon H, Zhu S, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW, & Basile KC, “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2023/2024 Sexual Violence Data Brief”, Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2025).

Sexual Violence Against Men

Men & boys are the victims of 1 in 10 reported rapes.

Sexual violence against men and boys is often overlooked, but police files show that it happens across multiple types of reported sex crimes.

Nationwide, in 11% of reported rapes, the victim is male.

Every survivor deserves to be recognized, believed, and supported. Naming sexual violence against men and boys helps make sure fewer survivors are left out of the conversation. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Sexual Violence Against Men

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. men experience sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment against men is often minimized or ignored, but the data tells a different story. It can happen at work, in public spaces, online, in schools, or anywhere someone uses sexual comments, pressure, or intimidation to make another person feel unsafe or exposed.

18% of U.S. men experience verbal sexual harassment at work or in public during their lifetimes.

The harm may not always be visible, but it can still affect a person’s sense of safety, dignity, trust, and control. ¹Leemis RW, Zhang Kudon H, Zhu S, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW, & Basile KC, “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2023/2024 Sexual Violence Data Brief”, Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2025).

The Impact of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence can make the world feel unsafe.

After rape or sexual assault, many survivors experience distress that reaches into daily life: relationships, work, school, sleep, physical health, and their sense of safety.

Nearly half of survivors, 46%, experience severe social and emotional distress as a result of the victimization. Another 25% report moderate distress.

The effects often last. Almost all (91%) experience social symptoms for one month or longer, and 61% experience physical symptoms for one month or longer.

Healing takes support, time, and care that responds to the whole person. ¹Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Socio-emotional Impact of Violent Crime” (2014).

The Impact of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence by someone close is severely distressing.

Rape or sexual assault can be deeply harmful, no matter who commits it. But survivors report the highest levels of severe distress when the perpetrator is an intimate partner or relative—someone who may also be tied to their home, family, safety, or daily life.

About 2 in 3 survivors report severe social and emotional distress when the perpetrator is an intimate partner or relative.

About 1 in 3 survivors report severe distress when the perpetrator is a stranger or is otherwise known to the victim.

Survivors harmed by someone close may need support that addresses trauma, safety, trust, and the possibility of ongoing contact with the person who harmed them. ¹Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Socio-emotional Impact of Violent Crime” (2014).

The Impact of Sexual Violence

About 1 in 50 U.S. women becomes pregnant from rape.

A pregnancy from rape can change everything that comes next.

For some survivors, rape leads not only to trauma but also to pregnancy, injury, health concerns, and fear for their safety. The harm can affect medical care, relationships, daily life, and the survivor’s sense of control over the future.

Across their lifetimes, about 2% of adult women in the U.S.—about 1 in 50—experience a pregnancy due to rape.

Among these survivors, 28% experience a sexually transmitted disease, 66% are injured, and 80% are afraid for their safety.

Survivors deserve care that protects their health and safety. ¹Centers for Disease Control. (October 2024). “Pregnancy Resulting from Sexual Violence”.

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

“Stranger danger” is only part of the picture.

Many people picture rape as an attack by a stranger. But FBI crime data shows that 76% of reported rapes are perpetrated by someone the victim already knew. 

These perpetrators include acquaintances, friends, and neighbors; romantic partners and spouses; and parents, siblings, and other family members.

This is why prevention work must address the people, places, and relationships where trust can be misused to create access, pressure, silence, or harm. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

More than 107,000 men are reported for rape each year.

When we talk about sexual violence, the focus too often falls on what survivors did, where they were, or whether they reported. But rape happens because someone chooses to violate another person’s consent.

According to FBI crime data, an average of 107,418 U.S. men are the perpetrators of reported rape each year.

Prevention efforts must focus on the people who cause harm, not on blaming survivors for the violence committed against them. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

At least 4% of rape is perpetrated by women.

Most reported rapists are men, but FBI crime data also documents women as the perpetrators of rape. This is important to acknowledge because survivors can be dismissed when the person who harmed them does not fit the public’s expectations.

Each year, an average of 5,510 female perpetrators are reported for rape, according to law enforcement reporting.

Prevention and accountability must focus on the harm committed and the person who commits it, not assumptions about who can commit it. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

Most rapists perpetrate before age 50.

FBI crime data shows that 77% of reported rapes are perpetrated by individuals under age 50, with 63% of perpetrators committing rape between the ages of 10 and 39.

This means that perpetration can begin as early as childhood and extend across college years, early careers, parenting years, workplaces, relationships, and communities. 

Prevention education must reach people before they cause harm, and accountability must follow when someone chooses to violate another person’s consent.

Stopping sexual violence means addressing harmful behavior early and refusing to excuse it at any age. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence

Almost 9 in 10 perpetrators of child sexual abuse are men.

Child sexual abuse is most often committed by men, according to child protective services records. Recognizing that pattern helps communities strengthen prevention, take warning signs seriously, and hold perpetrators accountable.

According to child protective services agencies nationwide, 89% of identified child sexual abuse perpetrators are male.

About 8% of identified offenders are female. The rest are unknown or unclassified.

Every child survivor deserves to be believed and protected, no matter who caused the harm. ¹U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, “Child Maltreatment 2022” (2024)

Crime Characteristics

Sexual violence often happens where people should feel safe.

FBI crime data shows that 69% of reported rapes occur in someone’s residence or home—places where people live, sleep, visit family, stay with someone they know, or seek temporary shelter.

When sexual violence happens behind closed doors, survivors need people and systems prepared to recognize harm, respond safely, and take every report seriously. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Crime Characteristics

Sexual violence is violent—with & without weapons.

When survivors report to law enforcement, weapons such as guns or knives are documented in only 2% of rape cases.

In 52% of reported rapes, perpetrators use what the FBI calls “personal weapons”, such as fists or teeth. 

But it’s critical to recognize that sexual violence can happen without a visible weapon, without a visible injury, and without a survivor fighting back. It can involve fear, grooming, trafficking, incapacitation, or abuse by someone the victim knows, trusts, or depends on.

Freezing, complying, or trying to get through the assault can be a survival response—and if the victim survives, they’ve succeeded.

Rape is not violent because of the weapons involved; it’s violent because it violates a person’s consent, autonomy, bodily integrity, safety, and the law. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Crime Characteristics

Technology is changing the scale of sexual abuse.

As of 2024, 1 in 10 U.S. women—about 13 million people—experienced tech-enabled sexual abuse every year. More than 8.4 million U.S. men experience it annually, about 1 in 14 men.

That number may already be higher. Since 2024, AI tools have rapidly become more accessible, making it alarmingly easy to create, alter, share, and reshare sexualized content of people without their consent.

The scale of the harm shows why survivors need faster takedown options, stronger platform accountability, and support that reflects how quickly online abuse can spread. ¹Leemis RW, Zhang Kudon H, Zhu S, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW, & Basile KC, “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2023/2024 Sexual Violence Data Brief”, Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2025)

Crime Characteristics

AI “nudify” apps are harming teens at unprecedented rates.

Use of AI “nudification” tools is increasingly widespread, with many teens creating, sharing, or receiving fake nude images made from real photos.

In the study, 55% of teens reported creating a nudified image of themselves at least once; 44% reported sharing a self-generated nudified image, and 54% reported receiving one.

The research also found that teens were more likely to use nudification tools than traditional generative AI image tools.

That’s deeply concerning precisely because nudification tools start with a real person’s photo. When someone creates or shares a sexualized image without that person’s permission, it becomes tech-enabled sexual abuse. ¹Steel CMS, “Prevalence of generative artificial intelligence sexualized image usage by adolescents in the United States”, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (2026)

Reporting & Criminal Justice Statistics

Police take nearly 128k rape reports every year.

Each year, law enforcement documents an average of 127,798 reports of rape.

Every report represents a person who experienced serious harm and took that case to law enforcement. But police data shows only part of the picture because most survivors never report what happened. ¹Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Crime Data Explorer, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), “Crime > Rape, January 2021–December 2025” (Data accessed September 2026)

Reporting & Criminal Justice Statistics

Reporting to the police does not guarantee justice.

FBI crime data shows that law enforcement clears 26% of reported rape cases. In this data, “cleared” may mean someone was arrested or even that the suspect was deceased; it does not necessarily mean the perpetrator was charged, convicted, incarcerated, or otherwise held accountable.

The clearance rate directs our attention to the 74% of survivors of rape whose cases remain unresolved every year. That’s at least 125,274 people who reached out for justice they may never receive. ¹Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)

Reporting & Criminal Justice Statistics

4 in 5 reported perpetrators are never charged with a crime.

For many survivors, reporting sexual violence means entering a system where the outcome is uncertain. A report may be investigated, cleared, closed, declined, or moved forward—but only a fraction of reported cases lead to criminal charges.

A 20-year review of sexual assault case outcomes found that just under 20% of reported rape and sexual assault cases are criminally charged.

This number points to one reality: many survivors report sexual violence without seeing the person who harmed them formally charged with a crime. ¹Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)

Reporting & Criminal Justice Statistics

Being believed by police does not ensure accountability.

A 20-year review of reported rape and sexual assault cases found that 89% were “founded” by law enforcement, meaning police determined that the crime more than likely occurred.

But only 8% of reported rape and sexual assault cases ended in conviction.

In other words, police believed most reports, but very few cases led to the perpetrator’s conviction. Survivors can be believed and still not get the legal outcome they seek.

Justice requires more than recognizing harm. It requires systems prepared to move cases forward and support survivors through what comes next. ¹Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)

Reporting & Criminal Justice Statistics

Even people who sexually abuse kids are rarely convicted.

Cases involving children are more likely than cases involving older victims to be charged and convicted. But the gap between reporting and conviction remains huge.

Among reported rape and sexual assault cases with victims under age 18, 72% were charged, and only 35% were convicted.

By comparison, when victims’ ages spanned adolescence through adulthood, 21% were charged, and only 9% were convicted.

The data reveal two truths at once: child sexual abuse cases may move farther through the system, and too many young survivors still do not see a conviction. ¹Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)

Prevention & Risk Reduction

Sexual violence is not inevitable.

CDC-cited research shows that prevention can work when communities address the conditions that allow harm to happen. That includes: 

• Teaching healthy relationship skills

• Helping people intervene safely

• Creating schools and workplaces where harmful behavior is taken seriously

• Strengthening economic stability

• Connecting survivors with victim-centered support

Effective prevention programs can reduce sexual violence, dating violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and related risk factors.

The data points to a clear responsibility: we can prevent harm before it happens, and we must build the systems to do it. ¹Basile, K.C., DeGue, S., Jones, K., Freire, K., Dills, J., Smith, S.G., Raiford, J.L., (2016), “Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence” (2023), Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)

Prevention & Risk Reduction

Safer school environments can reduce sexual violence.

Prevention is not only about what students learn in a classroom. It’s also about whether hallways, stairwells, bathrooms, cafeterias, buses, and other school spaces are supervised and designed to reduce opportunities for harm.

The evidence shows that schools can help prevent harm when they change the environments where students learn, socialize, and move through the day. ¹Basile, K.C., DeGue, S., Jones, K., Freire, K., Dills, J., Smith, S.G., Raiford, J.L., (2016), “Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence” (2023), Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)

Prevention & Risk Reduction

Prevention can start with how people respond.

Classmates, friends, roommates, teammates, and coworkers may notice warning signs before harm escalates. Bystander intervention programs help people recognize those moments and take safe action instead of looking away.

When more people know how to intervene safely, entire communities can become more involved in stopping harassment, stalking, pressure, and abuse. ¹Basile, K.C., DeGue, S., Jones, K., Freire, K., Dills, J., Smith, S.G., Raiford, J.L., (2016), “Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence” (2023), Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)

Support can change what survivors do next.

When survivors reach out after sexual violence, the response they receive can shape whether they feel believed, seek medical care, report what happened, and stay connected to support.

CDC-cited research shows that survivors who work with advocates report better experiences with medical and legal systems.

Survivors who receive an advocate’s support are also: 

• More likely to report to law enforcement.
• More likely to receive medical care.
• More likely to experience decreased distress.

Healing is not something survivors should have to navigate alone. ¹Basile, K.C., DeGue, S., Jones, K., Freire, K., Dills, J., Smith, S.G., Raiford, J.L., (2016), “Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence” (2023), Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)

Support & Healing

Supporting survivors takes time, trust, & care.

When someone reaches out to RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, they may be disclosing sexual violence for the first time, asking what happened, seeking safety, or trying to make it through a moment of fear, anxiety, or crisis.

The average hotline session lasts 45 minutes.

8 in 10 visitors reach out to disclose rape or sexual assault.

1 in 3 visitors (33%) discuss mental health concerns, including anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

Every survivor deserves compassionate support that meets them where they are and helps them understand what options are available next. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), “2025 Annual Report on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) Visitors” (May 2026)

Support & Healing

One conversation can make all the difference.

Survivors don’t always reach out knowing exactly what they need. Some are trying to understand what happened. Some are afraid of seeing the perpetrator again. Some need medical care, legal information, mental health support, or a safer way to tell someone they trust.

When survivors contact RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, 60% receive information about sexual assault, its effects, or mental health services.

41% receive safety planning help, and 52% receive referrals to resources, including sexual assault service providers, mental health care providers, and legal resources.

Every survivor deserves support that is compassionate enough to listen and practical enough to help them move forward safely. ¹RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), “2025 Annual Report on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) Visitors” (May 2026)