Sexual Violence and Harassment

Sexual Violence and Harassment

Anyone can be impacted by Sexual Violence, including rape, sexual assault and exploitation, regardless of your sex, gender or sexuality. It may have happened when you were a child, teenager or as an adult.

Rape

Sexual violence is an umbrella term which covers all forms of sexual activity which has happened without consent. Sexual crimes are about power and control rather than desire and sexual attraction

Sexual Assault

Sexual Harassment

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Rape and sexual assault statistics

Support and Help

Myths vs Facts

Consent is about having the freedom and capacity to choose

It is important to note that: • A child under the age of 13 can never consent to any sexual activity. • The age of consent in 16. • Sexual intercourse without consent is rape. • No child can consent to their own abuse.

If you’re the victim of rape or sexual assault, the police and other organisations are there to help

Call 999 to report a rape or attempted sexual assault, as soon as possible after the crime

Only you can decide whether or not to report to the police. The majority of victim-survivors do not tell the police what has happened, however many feel accessing independent support can help them to move forward

Click to access support websites

Rape Crisis

Victim Support

Galop

Revenge Porn Helpline

National Association for People Abused in Childhood

Safe Line

Some areas have Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). They can offer you medical support and collect evidence that can be used later.

Remember that victim-survivors are not to blame for the sexual violence they have been subjected to, and all victim-survivors have the right to report what happened. There are no time limits to report sexual violence to the police.

Report a concern to ACT Safeguarding Team

Rape and sexual assault statistics

With so many myths surrounding sexual violence and abuse, it can sometimes be hard to know what to believe. Here are key statistics from trusted sources that show the scale of the problem in England and Wales.

1 in 6chidren

1 in 4women

1 in 18men

Have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult (6.54 million women in total)

have been sexually abused

have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adut (1.34 million men in total)

91%

1 in 2

6 in 7

of people prosecuted for sexual offences

rapes against women

rapes against women

are carried our by someone they know

are carried out by their partner or ex-partner

are men aged 18+

1 in 3 adults who are raped experience it in their own home

9 in 10 girls and young women in schools say:

Sexist name-calling and being sent unwanted 'dick pics' or other images of a sexual nature happens to them or other girls and young women their age.

But most survivors don't report it to the police

5 in 6 women who are raped don’t report – and the same is true for 4 in 5 men. Lots of these survivors tell someone else what happened. So, why don't they tell the police?

40% said ‘embarrassment’ 38% said they didn’t think the police could help 34% said they thought it would be humiliating

Where did we get the data for these statistics from? Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office | Ministry of Justice | NSPCC | Office for National Statistics | Ofsted

Myths vs Facts

Myths about rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse and other types of sexual violence cause serious harm. Here, we take a look at some of the most common myths – and separate fact from fiction.

Women who drink or take drugs deserve it if they get raped.

Women lie about being raped because they want attention or revenge – or regret having had sex with someone.

If she didn’t say ‘no’ then it wasn't rape.

It’s not rape if it's your wife or girlfriend.

If she didn’t scream, try to run away or fight back then it wasn't rape.

Women often play ‘hard to get' and say 'no' when they really mean 'yes'.

Women are ‘asking for it’ if they wear revealing clothes or flirt.

Myths vs Facts

If she'd really been raped then it wouldn't have taken her so long to say something.

Men of certain backgrounds are more likely to commit sexual violence or abuse than others.

Only gay men get raped and only gay men rape men.

Women don’t commit sexual offences.

Victims and survivors should act a certain way after being raped.

Men don't get raped.

People who were sexually abused as children are likely to become abusers themselves.