Sexual Assault

You can reduce your risk of a sexual assault by:

• Being aware of your surroundings looking around you and noticing the people who are near or behind you
• Being assertive walking confidently and letting people know when you are uncomfortable with their proximity or actions.
• Checking under your car and in the back seat before entering.
• Keeping your doors and windows locked, especially when you are home alone
• Being sure that you know who you are opening your door to by confirming the identity of them. Keep in mind, if someone come to the door that you are unaware of, you do not have to open the door.
• Taking a self-defense course
• Trusting your instincts and recognizing risky situations. If it feels wrong, it is wrong.

In Your Relationships


Since most sexual assaults occur by someone known, these prevention strategies can be used to prevent sexual assault:

• Establish clear boundaries early on
• Use assertive communication. Be clear, direct, firm and respectful with your statements.
• Use affirmative answers (clear “YES” or “NO”)
• Understand how consent works. It must be freely given without coercion, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific.
• Challenge risk factors, such as male entitlement, sexiest attitudes, hypermasculinity, objectification of women, unhealthy attitudes that sexual violence is normal, rape culture, gender inequality, etc…
• Watch for controlling behaviors in the relationship. Remember, sexual assault is not about sex, it is about power and control.

If You Are Sexually Assaulted

• Know that it is not your fault. You did not do anything to cause it, and you are not to blame.
• Seek emotional support from a friend or relative with whom you feel comfortable or call a Rape Crisis Center.
• You may go to the nearest hospital for a forensic exam. You may call a rape crisis center to have an advocate accompany you for support and comfort. If you wish to pursue criminal action, you will need to follow guidelines to preserver evidence such as not douching, bathing, showering, eating or drinking anything or changing clothes before you go. While this is an uncomfortable concept, you are the evidence.
• Speak to an advocate about reporting the rape to law enforcement should you make the choice to pursue charges. The advocate will inform you of your rights and will provide expectations for the reporting process as well as criminal justice process should the case be prosecuted.

Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. About 25% of men will be victims before they are eighteen. 2/3 of sexual assaults are never reported. ( Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2015-2019 (2020). 

Only 310 out of every 1000 sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement (https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system). Some reasons for low reporting rates are:

• Fear of not being believed
• The survivor is unaware an assault has occured (for example, the survivor is in an intimate partner or spousal relationship with the  perpertrator or the survivor is a minor)
• Fear of retaliation
• Distrust of law enforcement or fear law enforcement will not help
• Fear of the case not being prosecuted

Out of every 1000 perpetrators, 975 will walk free. (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (2013).

Current or former spouses or intimate partners commit 33% of the sexual assaults. 39% of sexual assaults were committed by someone the victim identified as a friend or acquaintance. 19.5% of victims did not know their attacker.(Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2010-2016 (2017).Sexual assault is about POWER and CONTROL- not sex. Offenders use sexualized violence to overpower and control another person. Sexual assault is a premeditated crime where 71% of offenders plan their assault and deliberately choose their victim. (Sexual Assault Training Manual, Texas Office of the Attorney General and Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, 2000.) Sexual assault also revolves around consent. Many survivors are unaware they were sexually assaulted because they do not understand the role consent plays. Consent, an agreement between parties involved to engage in sexual activity, must be freely given without coercion, must be given every time, and can be withdrawn at anytime in which case the activity must end. Intimate partners and spouses that are offenders believe they are entitled to sexual activity due to the relationship, however consent is needed anytime sexual activity occurs regardless of the relationship. Individuals are also not able to consent when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Alcohol remains the number 1 date rape drug.

Sexual assault occurs: 55% in the victim’s home 12% in the home of a friend, relative or neighbor, 15% in a public and open space like a park, 10% in a public enclosed space like a parking garage, and 8% are on school property. (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (2013) Teens 16 to 19 were four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. Adolescents ages 12 to 17 are more likely to be sexually assaulted by young adults 18 to 24. Children under 12 are more likely to be sexually assaulted by persons under age 18. (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997).

If you are experiencing sexual assault, BATP has advocates on-call 24 hours a day that can be accessed through our 24-hour crisis hotline. Advocates provide emergency and non-emergency accompaniments to hospitals, law enforcement office, prosecutor’s offices, and courts.

Safety Strategies for Survivors

If an incident occurs:

• Try not to be trapped in a place where there is no exit or where there may be weapons
• Call 911 and report bruises, injury, and damaged property
• Seek medical attention and have doctor note how you were injured
• Seek temporary safety at a hotel, with friends, or at a shelter
• Seek information regarding protective order

Overall strategies:

• Create an exit plan with your children to prepare for the next incident
• Observe patterns of abusive behaviors to avoid triggers
• Keep a list of phone numbers memorized in case something happens to your mobile device
• Pack a bag with clothes, important papers, money, medications and keys and keep it somewhere you can get to it if you have to leave
• Build a support system
• Get an escort to and from your car at work
• Vary your daily schedule and routes

If you are ready to leave:

• Have an evacuation plan
• Become familiar with local resources to help
• Think of where you can go where you are safe
• Consider what areas would not be safe
• Be aware of the abuser’s schedule. Plan you exit when abuser is not home (if possible)
• Request a civil standby from the local police department

Digital Safety:

• Keep all evidence of abuse on a flash drive
• Create a back-up email that the abuser knows nothing about
• Do not give out passwords to anyone
• Clear browsing and caching history regularly, especially if you are searching for help online
• Keep all online profiles private
• Do not post personal information (for example, “checking-in” on social media or posting identifying landmarks)
• Keep location services off
• Monitor devices for Spyware
• Check Bluetoooth often to make sure nothing is connected, like AirTags

Child Safety:

• Make sure children know how to call 9-1-1
  Inform children’s school of the situation if it is safe to do so
• Children know to stay out of a flight
• Children know who they can call or go to if they are able to safely escape the home during an incident