Nearly 22 million women in the U.S. — one in five — have been raped, as have almost 1.6 million men, according to a new report released by the White House.
Among women who were raped, nearly half were victimized before turning 18. More than a quarter of the male rapes occurred before the victims were 10, according to the report.
And the vast majority of assailants were known to the victims, with fewer than one in six rapes committed by strangers.
The report cited sexual assaults on college campuses as a particular problem, noting that 1 in 5 women has been sexually assaulted while in college. It also pointed to research suggesting that campus perpetrators are often repeat offenders.
The issue of sexual assault on college campuses has drawn significant attention in Connecticut in recent months after high-profile criticism of how UConn and other universities have handled cases involving students.
“No one is more at risk of being raped or sexually assaulted than women at our nation’s colleges and universities,” reads the White House Council on Women and Girls report.
President Obama on Wednesday created a task force to respond to assaults on college campuses and gave the group 90 days to produce recommendations for how schools should prevent and respond to allegations.
UConn President Susan Herbst in a statement applauded the move.
“UConn has an unshakeable commitment to prevention of sexual violence on our campuses and to providing protection and support for victims,” she said. “We welcome the chance to participate in this important national conversation and look forward to exchanging information with other institutions about their most effective policies, practices, and resources. We can learn from one another’s challenges and help ensure that we are always striving to adopt and adhere to national best practices in addressing this critical issue.”
Read the report by clicking here.