Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence Victimization Among U.S. Adults, 2001-2003

This article provides the most recent U.S. prevalence estimates of forced sex and unwanted sexual activity. Results of a national telephone survey conducted in 2001-2003 indicate that 1 in 59 U.S. adults (2.7 million women and 978,000 men) experienced unwanted sexual activity in the 12 months preced...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Violence and victims 2007-08, Vol.22 (4), p.437-448
Main Authors: Basile, Kathleen C., Chen, Jieru, Black, Michele C., Saltzman, Linda E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Distribution
Battered Women - psychology
Battered Women - statistics & numerical data
Behavioral Sciences
Coercion
College campuses
Counseling
Crime
Crime Victims - psychology
Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data
Definitions
Families & family life
Female
Females
Health behavior
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Males
Marital status
Marriage and Family Counselling
Policy, Social Justice, and Human Rights
Population
Prevalence
Psychology
Public health
Rape - psychology
Rape - statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
Risk factors
Sensitivity analysis
Sexual Partners
Social and Personality Psychology
Social Work
Spouse Abuse - psychology
Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Studies
Truth Disclosure
United States - epidemiology
Violence
Women's Health
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Summary:This article provides the most recent U.S. prevalence estimates of forced sex and unwanted sexual activity. Results of a national telephone survey conducted in 2001-2003 indicate that 1 in 59 U.S. adults (2.7 million women and 978,000 men) experienced unwanted sexual activity in the 12 months preceding the survey and that 1 in 15 U.S. adults (11.7 million women and 2.1 million men) have been forced to have sex during their lifetime. There were 60.4% of females and 69.2% of males who were 17 years old or younger at the time the first forced sex occurred. This study provides an update to the National Violence Against Women Survey with more recent national data. Findings suggest that victimization rates have remained consistent since the 1990s. These findings suggest that a continued effort toward primary prevention of sexual violence, particularly rape of children and adolescents, is needed.
ISSN:0886-6708
1945-7073
DOI:10.1891/088667007781553955