We live in a world where people pride themselves on being civilized. “Caveman” tendencies are looked down on, and equality is the spoken goal. But what we say is often different than what we do, as these statistics on global sexual violence continue to show. Sadly, instead of sexual violence diminishing, in some places, it continues to rise. Men and women are both victims, with women receiving the lion’s share of violence across the board.

Statistics That Will Surprise You

Researchers in every country collect data about sexual violence. It’s one of the only ways we can monitor the problem, learn from it, and create programs that will help victims recover. The ultimate goal is to eradicate the crime completely, but until then, we need to support those who experienced sexual assault.

This research has helped us understand things like:

  • Nearly one in three women have dealt with intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. Some women have been victims of both at least once.
  • These numbers don’t include people who have been on the receiving end of sexual harassment.
  • Because of sexual violence, women and men who would otherwise have led normal lives become depressed and suicidal.
  • Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are higher among women and men who have been victims of sexual violence.
  • The majority of women who are victims of sexual violence have had the crime committed by previous intimate partners, former spouses, or their current husbands.
  • Students aged 11-15 are often subjected to gender-based violence in their schools. This makes it hard for a person victimized and living in fear to obtain a quality education. Boys and girls are equally subjected to bullying in this environment.

Creating accurate reports regarding sexual violence can be difficult for a number of reasons. Those who have been attacked may feel guilty or ashamed and not report the incident. Some reports are false accusations and the defendant is able to get the case dropped by using a sexual assault law firm to prove their innocence.

Still other acts of violence are never reported because the victim is in a relationship with their attacker. They believe that being manipulated or coerced into sexual activity is normal and acceptable.

COVID and More Acts of Violence

But since the COVID-19 pandemic, the reports of violence with people calling helplines have increased substantially. These numbers have gone up more than five times the rate they were before lockdowns and quarantine.

Because of multiple factors, such as isolation and economic issues, violence in the home has risen. With thousands of people feeling helpless to do anything in the wake of the virus, they are afraid to ask for help.

However, one thing is clear. As global sexual violence rates continue to rise rather than fall, even with government regulations stepping in, we can’t stop fighting back.

The more people are aware of their rights, and the more we empower individuals with the strength to speak up, the more these situations can be avoided. Until sexual violence is gone completely, we’ll still have people monitoring the statistics, and we’ll still need programs to help victims recover their lives and move forward.