Sexual Violence Prevention in Indiana: Toward Safer, Healthier Communities

Abstract

The report concludes with a review of actions being taken in Indiana and other states to address the problem, and recommendations for researchers, school officials, and policymakers.

The prevalence of sexual violence in the United States is a serious public health problem. Based on known statistics there is approximately one sexual assault every two minutes within the U.S. But researchers suspect this is only a fraction of the real instances because they estimate more than half of the assaults are not reported. Along with the many serious emotional, physical, personal, and societal effects of sexual violence, the economic costs to society total more than 5.8 billion each year (4.1 billion in health costs alone).

In Indiana, survey results suggest approximately 1 in 5 women in the state have been victims of rape at some point within their lifetime. Further data indicate females in 9th–12th grades in Indiana schools have the second highest rate in the nation of forced sexual intercourse. Clearly, sexual violence is a serious concern within the state as well as nationwide.