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Sexual violence (SV) is a serious problem that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities. CDC's goal is to stop SV from happening in the first place. The solutions are just as complex as the problem.

In order to prevent SV, we must understand and address risk and protective factors at the individual, relational, community, and societal levels.

CDC developed a resource, Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action [3 MB, 46 Pages] to help communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence. This resource is available in English and Spanish [17MB, 48 Pages, 508] and can impact individual behaviors and the relationship, family, school, community, and societal factors that influence the risk and protective factors for violence. Many of the strategies focus on reducing the likelihood that a person will engage in sexual violence. The strategies and their corresponding approaches are listed in the table below.

S

Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence

Bystander Approaches

Mobilizing men and boys as allies

T

Teach Skills to Prevent Sexual Violence

Social-emotional learning

Teaching healthy, safe dating and intimate relationship skills to adolescents

Promoting healthy sexuality

Empowerment-based training

O

Provide Opportunities to Empower and Support Girls and Women

Strengthening economic supports for women and families

Strengthening leadership and opportunities for girls

P

Create Protective Environments

Improving safety and monitoring in schools

Establishing and consistently applying workplace policies

Addressing community-level risks through environmental approaches

SV

Support Victims/Survivors to Lessen Harms

Victim-centered services

Treatment for victims of SV

Treatment for at-risk children and families to prevent problem behavior including sex offending

Example Programs

Below are some examples of programs described in the STOP SV technical package.

See Sexual Violence Resources for more publications, data sources, and other resources about preventing sexual violence.

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Sexual violence (SV) is a serious problem that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities. CDC's goal is to stop SV from happening in the first place. The solutions are just as complex as the problem.

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You have the power to choose to leave behind language and lyrics that blame victims, objectify women and excuse sexual harassment.

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"Boys will be boys." "She was drunk." "Women say "no" when they mean "yes."
Rape culture is pervasive. It's embedded in the way we think, speak, and move in the world. While the contexts may differ, rape culture is always rooted in patriarchal beliefs, power, and control.

Rape culture is the social environment that allows sexual violence to be normalized and justified, fueled by the persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality. Naming it is the first step to dismantling rape culture.

Every day we have the opportunity to examine our behaviours and beliefs for biases that permit rape culture to continue. From the attitudes we have about gender identities to the policies we support in our communities, we can all take action to stand against rape culture.

Here are 16 ways you can do your part:

1. Create a culture of enthusiastic consent.

Freely given consent is mandatory, every time. Rather than listening for a "no," make sure there is an active, "yes," from all involved. Adopt enthusiastic consent in your life and talk about it.

2. Speak out against the root causes.

Rape culture is allowed to continue when we buy into ideas of masculinity that see violence and dominance as "strong" and "male", and when women and girls are less valued.

It is also underpinned by victim-blaming-an attitude that suggests a victim rather than the perpetrator bears responsibility for an assault.

When discussing cases of sexual violence, a victim's sobriety, clothes, and sexuality are irrelevant. Instead, counter the idea that men and boys must obtain power through violence and question the notion of sex as an entitlement.

3. Redefine masculinity.

Take a critical look at what masculinity means to you and how you embody it. Self-reflection, community conversations, and artistic expression are just some of the tools available for men and boys (as well as women and girls) to examine and redefine masculinities with feminist principles.

4. Stop victim-blaming.

Because language is deeply embedded in culture, we may forget that the words and phrases we use each day shape our reality.

Rape-affirming beliefs are embedded in our language: "She was dressed like a slut. She was asking for it,"

It is part of popular song lyrics: "I know you want it."

It is normalized by objectifying women and calling them names in pop culture and media.

You have the power to choose to leave behind language and lyrics that blame victims, objectify women and excuse sexual harassment. What a woman is wearing, what and how much she had to drink, and where she was at a certain time, is not an invitation to rape her.

5. Have zero tolerance.

Establish policies of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and violence in the spaces in which you live, work, and play. Leaders must be particularly clear that they are committed to upholding a zero-tolerance policy and that it must be practised every day.

As a starting point, take a look at what you can do to make harassment at work history.

6. Broaden your understanding of rape culture.

Across time and contexts, rape culture takes many forms. It's important to recognize that rape culture goes beyond the narrow notion of a man assaulting a woman as she walks alone at night.

For instance, rape culture encompasses a wide array of harmful practices that rob women and girls of their autonomy and rights, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

Know the factors that underpin rape culture and the myths that surround it.

While no one may disagree that rape is wrong, through words, actions and inaction, sexual violence and sexual harassment is normalized and trivialized, leading us down a slippery slope of rape culture.

7. Take an intersectional approach.

Rape culture affects us all, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, economic status, race, religion or age. Rooting it out means leaving behind restrictive definitions of gender and sexuality that limit a person's right to define and express themselves.

Certain characteristics such as sexual orientation, disability status or ethnicity, and some contextual factors, increase women's vulnerability to violence. LGBTQI individuals may be subject to "corrective rape" in which the perpetrator intends to force the victim to conform with sexual and gender stereotypes. During humanitarian crisis, prevalent discrimination against women and girls often exacerbates sexual violence.

Gulzada Serzhan, is an active member of Feminita, a Kazakhstan feminist initiative that protects and defends the rights of LGBTQI community members. While working as an IT project manager, a male co-worker began to sexually harass her on business trips. When she told him she was a lesbian, his harassment became stronger.

"He believed he could 'correct' me," Serzhan says. "He said that I needed a strong man...In Kazakhstan, the society accepts and values men who are savage and brutal. It's considered natural when men make sexual advances towards women."

"If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis situation," explains Matcha Phorn-in, who works to address the unique needs of LGBTIA individuals in crises.

8. Know the history of rape culture.

Rape has been used as a weapon of war and oppression throughout history. It has been used to degrade women and their communities and for ethnic cleansing and genocide.

There are no quick reads for this. You can start by learning about the use of sexual violence during past and recent conflicts, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Guatemalan civil war, or the Kosovo conflict.

9. Invest in women.

Donate to organizations that empower women, amplify their voices, support survivors, and promote acceptance of all gender identities and sexualities.

UN Women works to end violence against women, assist survivors, and secure equal rights for women and girls everywhere. Donate now at https://donate.unwomen.org/en/16days.

10. Listen to survivors.

In the era of #MeToo, #TimesUp, #NiUnaMenos, #BalanceTonPorc, and other online movements, survivors of violence are speaking out more than ever before.

Listen to their experiences, read stories of survivors and activists around the globe, and follow #OrangeTheWorld and #GenerationEquality on social media.

Don't say, "Why didn't she leave?"

Do say: "We hear you. We see you. We believe you."

11. Don't laugh at rape.

Rape is never a funny punchline. Rape jokes delegitimize sexual violence, making it harder for victims to speak up when their consent is violated.

Humour that normalizes and justifies sexual violence is not acceptable. Call it out.

12. Get involved.

Rape culture is held up by the absence or lack of enforcement of laws addressing violence against women and discriminatory laws on property ownership, marriage, divorce and child custody.

Check out the global database on violence against women to see what your country is doing to protect women and girls. Engage with your representatives to ensure implementation of laws that promote gender equality.

13. End impunity.

To end rape culture, perpetrators must be held accountable. By prosecuting sexual violence cases, we recognize these acts as crimes and send a strong message of zero-tolerance.

Wherever you see pushback against legal consequences for perpetrators, fight for justice and accountability.

14. Be an active bystander.

One in three women worldwide experience abuse. Violence against women is shockingly common, and we may become witness to non-consensual or violent behaviour. Intervening as an active bystander signals to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable and may help someone stay safe.

First, assess the situation to determine what kind of help, if any, might be appropriate. You may be able to support the target of sexual harassment by asking how they are or if they would like help, or by documenting the incident, creating distractions to diffuse the situation, or making a short and clear statement directly to the perpetrator such as, "'I'm uncomfortable with what you are doing."

Read up on how you can be an active bystander, and take a bystander intervention training hosted by your university, municipality, or local NGO.

15. Educate the next generation.

It's in our hands to inspire the future feminists of the world. Challenge the gender stereotypes and violent ideals that children encounter in the media, on the streets, and at school. Let your children know that your family is a safe space for them to express themselves as they are. Affirm their choices and teach the importance of consent at a young age.

Looking for inspirational content? Here are 12 feminist books that everyone should read.

16. Start-or join-the conversation.

Talk to family and friends about how you can work together to end rape culture in your communities.

Whether it's hosting a conversation club that unpacks the meaning of masculinity, fundraising for a women's rights organization, or joining forces to protest rape-affirming decisions and policies, it will take all of us to stand united against rape culture.

You can join the conversation online right now by following #Orangetheworld and #GenerationEquality.

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16 ways you can stand against rape culture

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Every day we have the opportunity to examine our behaviours and beliefs for biases that permit rape culture to continue. From the attitudes we have about gender identities to the policies we support in our communities, we can all take action to stand against rape culture.

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Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives.

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National Sexual Violence Resource Center

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Learn more on our Questions and Answers page.

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Only one in 65 rape cases reported to police result in suspects being summonsed or charged, a Guardian analysis of the latest crime figures has revealed.

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Only one in 65 rape cases reported to police result in suspects being summonsed or charged, a Guardian analysis of the latest crime figures has revealed.The most recent Home Office statistics highlight an alarming decline in rape prosecutions in England and Wales over recent years amid increasingly acrimonious rows over the disclosure of evidence and suggestions that CPS prosecuting policies changed. The drop is particularly dramatic at a time when victims are reporting more attacks. Four years ago one in seven or 14% of cases led to a suspect being charged or summonsed - a total of 4,908 in 2015-16. Last year fewer than one in 65 reports of rape (1.5%) resulted in a charge or a summons, for a total of only 886 in 2018-19.

The extent of the fall emerged as separate Ministry of Justice figures showed that victims of sexual assault were being forced to wait longer to secure justice in the crown court.

In response to a question by the shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, MoJ statistics revealed the average waiting time between a defendant's not guilty plea in magistrates court and a crown court trial has stretched to seven months in sexual offence cases.

That is a four-week rise since 2011. In some areas the delays are longer. Complainants in Leeds crown court now wait more than twice as long (43.1 weeks) than they did in 2011 (17.8 weeks).

Burgon told the Guardian: "These are deeply troubling figures. Victims of sexual offences should not have to wait so long for their day in court. This will only add to concerns that the chaos the Conservatives have created in our courts and wider justice system is letting down victims of the most serious crimes."

interactive

The justice minister Paul Maynard said in his written reply: "The overall median waiting time in crown courts for defendants in sexual offence cases tends to be higher than that for other offences due to a lower guilty plea rate for these cases.

"Demand [for court use] has been falling in recent years and sitting days have been reduced accordingly. Waiting times for trials in the crown court for 2018 have been the lowest since 2014, despite the challenge of increasingly complex cases."

There has been a sharp rise in reports of rape made to police, perhaps reflected by the #MeToo movement and the determination of more women to seek justice. In the four years from 2015 to 2019, the number of rape claims dealt with annually by police in England and Wales rose by 61%, from 35,847 to 57,882.

Last month the government revealed that the average number of days between police submitting a rape case file and the CPS deciding on whether to charge had risen from 32 in 2010-11 to 78 days in 2017-18.

Shami Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, said: "Of course decisions should be considered carefully by the CPS, but such a long wait for a decision to charge reveals an entire system paralysed by self-doubt. This is bad news for complainants and defendants, and for the quality of justice.

"We welcome that there is an official review into the prosecution of rape cases taking place. But we need assurance that it will be totally transparent. We simply must do better by survivors."

Rebecca Hitchen, campaigns manager at the End Violence Against Women coalition said: "The figures show that overall, of every 200 cases of rape reported to the police, only three will actually be prosecuted and go to trial.

"If nothing changes we could argue that rape has effectively been decriminalised. There is no meaningful access to justice for women, and the men who commit this crime are getting away with it.

"We also want some questions answered about the growth in the category of cases the police call 'victim withdrawal'. We need examination of what actually lies behind this, because otherwise we fear that it is in fact a convenient way for police and prosecutors to place responsibility on victims for their failings."
The Guardian view on rape and the justice system: victims deserve more than this | Editorial
Responding to the decline in prosecutions, a Home Office spokesperson said: "We welcome the fact that more victims are having greater confidence to come forward and report these horrendous crimes. However, we are concerned by reductions in charges and prosecutions for crimes such as rape and serious sexual offences.

"We are conducting an end-to-end review of rape cases to establish why this has happened, and identify any issues within the criminal justice system that have contributed to the fall in volumes. This will help us identify where issues exist so we can take steps to improve our response."

Case study: 'If I could do it again I would not do it'

Lara is one of at least three women who allege rape by a musician she dated. She decided not to report the rape at the time but later heard from others, including a 14-year old, at which point she decided to go to the police to report the attack.

Over a two-year period Lara supplied the police with evidence including all of the data on her phone, which was not returned to her until eight months later. During that time Lara says she was advised not to get counselling, as the defence could request access to her notes if the case proceeded to a trial.

Lara says she heard little from the police or CPS until they notified her by letter that they had decided not to charge. She says there were basic queries that stalled the case that could have been answered if she was contacted. "I would have just liked the opportunity to explain and answer some of their questions but I was shut down. I wasn't even given the option."

Lara appealed against the decision but the case remains closed. "If I could do it again I would not do it. What it did to my mental health, it was not worth it."
Topics

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Just 1.5% of all rape cases lead to charge or summons, data reveals

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Only one in 65 rape cases reported to police result in suspects being summonsed or charged, a Guardian analysis of the latest crime figures has revealed.The most recent Home Office statistics highlight an alarming decline in rape prosecutions in England and Wales over recent years amid increasingly acrimonious rows over the disclosure of evidence and suggestions that CPS prosecuting policies changed.

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One study conducted 102 in-depth interviews with women in Chicago, and found that only 25% of reported rape cases were prosecuted

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1-800-656-4673
https://www.rainn.org

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Statistics can help the public better understand crimes of sexual violence and help researches spot trends and patterns.