Thread by @MichaelGLFlood

Facts about sexual assault and rape of adults (Australian Institute of Criminology research synthesis)
Reporting: Most victims of rape and sexual assault delay disclosing or reporting or never disclose their experiences. 83% of victims did not report.
aic.gov.au/publications/t… 1/14

Incidents of rape and sexual assault are significantly under-reported, under-prosecuted, and under-convicted. Conviction rates for sexual assault are extremely low. Because rapes usually in private without witnesses or medical evidence, victim-blaming jurors, poor rape laws. 2/14

False allegations are rare. And when they do occur, most are not malicious. Most represent fear or a need for assistance, rather than malice. Also see Lisak et al.’s excellent review of the research, free here: xyonline.net/sites/xyonline…. 3/14

Force: Most sexual offenders have a prior relationship with the victim, and many do not use physical violence during the assault. Most do not involve the use of a weapon. Offenders may groom victims into compliance over time, build trust, etc. 4/14

Victims’ resistance: Verbal resistance is more common than physical resistance. Women often match their resistance to the level of aggression displayed by the offender. Women with previous victimisation histories are less likely to engage in direct physical resistance. 5/14

Arousal: Unwanted sexual arousal and physiological responses (e.g. erections, orgasms) can occur during rape and sexual assault. These responses do not indicate that the person consented to sexual activity. 6/14

Injuries: Some studies find that injuries are rare (4-20% of assaults), while others find that they are common (50-80%). In either case, injuries are not necessarily a good indicator of non-consent. 7/14

Emotion during reporting: Victims of sexual assault, in reporting the assault, may be calm and controlled, numb, or emotional. And emotional responses may change over time, because of improved coping, counselling, or other changes. 8/14

Memories: Memories of rape often are fragmented, confused, and lacking in detail. Typically only segments of an experience are remembered. (Versus the expectation that memories of rape will be clear, coherent, entirely consistent, and detailed.) 9/14

Alcohol: Alcohol is used deliberately by perpetrators to faciliate sexual assault: to incapacitate victims. And perpetrators may take advantange of incapacitated individuals. Alcohol also is used by perpetrators to enhance their own confidence, and to excuse their actions. 10/14

Known perpetrators: Rapes are usually committed by someone known to the victim, often in a familiar residential location. Rapes are often committed by family members or within intimate partner relationships. 11/14

ABS Personal Safety Survey: women were 4 times more likely to have been sexually assaulted since the age of 15 by a known person compared to a stranger. In their most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, 87% of women aged 18+ were sexually assaulted by a known male. 12/14

Continued relationship following offending: Victims may stay in a relationship with the offender after the assault. Because of trust, power, fear, or grooming. 13/14

Most rapes occur in a residential location, e.g. a home. In 2013, two-thirds of sexual assaults occurred in a residential location, as opposed to a public space (i.e. away from public view). Witnesses are rare. 14/14