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New Hampshire's Statute defines Sexual Assault as non-consensual sexual contact or penetration by physical force, by threat of bodily harm, or when the victim is incapable of giving consent by virtue of mental illness, mental retardation, intoxication or being under the age of consent (16 years old in NH). Legally, acquaintance rape carries the same penalties as sexual assault committed by a stranger.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE can include sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, and sexual harassment. Women, men, and children of all ages, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, and sexual orientation, can be victims of sexual violence.
SEXUAL ASSAULT is forced, coerced, or manipulated sexual acts. It can range from intentional touching of one's genitals to sexual penetration of any body opening without one's consent. Sexual assault can include several kinds of crimes: rape, incest, sexual harassment, child molestation, marital rape, exposure, and voyeurism. Sexual assault can happen between spouses, intimate partners, acquaintances, family members, on a date, or by a stranger.
Child Sexual Abuse is the sexual exploitation of a child by an adult, adolescent, or older child. The sexual activity does not necessarily involve force; children are often bribed or verbally coerced into sexual acts. The difference in age and sexual knowledge between a child and an older person makes informed consent to sexual activity impossible.
What to do if you have been sexually assaulted:
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Go to a safe place - call a friend and/or rape crisis advocate from Woman's Crisis Services at 1-800-852-3388, or 352-3782, or 532-6800.
- Don't wash, bathe, douche, or change clothes before going for help. You may destroy crucial evidence should you decide to press charges.
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It is very important to receive medical attention quickly for treating injuries sustained during the assault, test for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and collecting evidence to be used if you choose to press charges in the future.
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It is important to report the crime to the police. If the assault goes unreported, the assailant will most likely be a repeat offender.
A trained sexual assault crisis advocate will meet you at the hospital and/or police station. The advocate is there to offer you support and answer any questions you may have. Any information you share with the advocate is confidential.
The process of healing and regaining trust after being sexually assaulted, especially by someone you know, is a long one. Not only has your body been violated, but your faith in another person has been betrayed. It might take a while for you to feel safe and secure again, but in time you will be able to go on.
Healing from sexual assault begins when you are ready to deal with what happened to you. Talking about the assault and your feelings with someone you trust can help. We at Women's Crisis Services are here to listen, help you explore your options, and provide support.
If someone you know has been sexually assaulted:
BE SUPPORTIVE - It's very important to have a good support system in place.
BE AVAILABLE - Survivors need to talk about the abuse/assault and their feelings surrounding it with someone they trust and feel comfortable with.
LISTEN - Don't be judgmental - assure the person that he/she is not to blame regardless of the events leading up to the attack.
BE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING - Support all decisions the survivor makes - whether or not he/she reports the assault or seeks other help.
KNOW YOUR OWN LIMITS - Get help yourself. Talk to an advocate even if your friend doesn't want to.
Facts on Sexual Assault:
Facts are gathered from the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
fact sheet.
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An estimated 683,000 adult American women are forcibly raped each year. Every minute in the United States there are 1.3 forcible rapes of adult woman; 78 women are forcibly raped each hour. Every day 1,871 women are forcibly raped, equating to 56,916 forcible rapes each month.
- Seventy eight percent (78%) of rapes involve a person the victim knew, including: husbands/ex-husbands, fathers/step-fathers, boyfriends/ex-boyfriends, other relatives, and friends/neighbors.
- The National Victim Center reports that over 700,000 women are raped or sexually assaulted annually. Of these, 61% are under the age of 18.
- Common myths surrounding rape include: only women can be sexually assaulted; victims who truly resist cannot be raped; "no" really doesn't mean "no"; nice girls don't get raped; and "she asked for it".
- Sexual assaults can and do occur within marital relationships. Most often, these assaults occur within a context of on-going domestic violence. While reports and prosecutions of spousal rape are fairly infrequent, some convictions have occurred.
- Sexual violence remains the most dramatically under-reported crime, with an estimated two-thirds of attacks unreported.
- A study of sexual assaults among college students found that 73% of the assailants and 55% of the victims had used drugs, alcohol, or both immediately before the assault.
- Male victims of sexual assault experience the same reactions as women, as well as an increased sense of vulnerability, damaged self-image, and emotional distancing. These reactions are often a result of the cultural belief that a male should be capable of defending himself. Consequently, males often blame themselves for the attack.
- Sexual assault affects women of all ages; however, most rape, and specifically acquaintance rape, happens to women between the ages of 15 and 25.
- Sixty-two percent (62%) of a national sample of women with physical disabilities reported having experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. The same percentage of a comparison group of women without disabilities reported abuse, but the women with disabilities had experienced abuse for longer periods of time.
- Eighty-four percent (84%) of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim.
Facts on The Mental Health Impact of Sexual Assault:
Facts are gathered from the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
fact sheet.
Mental & Emotional Impact on Individual Survivors:
- Mental Health costs of sexual assault are very high. Estimates indicate that one-quarter to one-half (25%-50%) of rape and child sexual abuse survivors receive some form of mental health treatment as a result of the victimization.
- Almost one-third (31%) of all rape survivors develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sometime during their lifetimes.
- The U.S. Public Health Service Office of Women's Health reports that one-half to three-quarters (50-75%) of women in substance abuse treatment programs are survivors of sexual violence.
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Child and/or adult history of sexual and physical abuse appear frequently to be the first experience in a sequence that leads to homelessness for women and men.
Impact on the Mental Health System:
- In one NYC comparative study, rape survivors seen by rape crisis center advocates during their initial emergency room visits, reported the fastest recovery path from the psychological injuries and returned soonest to normalized daily routines.
- Numerous nationwide studies consistently show prevalent rates of sexual abuse histories at 22-54% among women receiving case management mental health services, and 50-70% among women in inpatient psychiatric facilities.
- Estimates of the total annual cost of mental health care for victims of attempted or completed rape is $863 million. Estimates of the same cost for adult survivors of child sexual abuse are even higher, $2.1 billion.
If you would like to keep track of any legislative changes favorable to survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence, then please visit the New Hampshire Coalition
Against Domestic and Sexual Violence web site and click on the Legislation button.
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