The first step to prevention is understanding the facts:

---

Sexual Assault

Every 92 seconds, somewhere in America, someone is being sexually assaulted. (RAINN)

• ​Demographics of female sexual assault victims: 15% are under age 12; 44% are under 18; and 80% are under the age of 30. (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics)
• Almost 2/3 of rapes are completed by someone known to the victim. (RAINN)
• Nationally 68% of rapes are not reported to police; 98% of rapists never spend a day in jail. (RAINN)
• The effects of sexual abuse are long-lasting. Survivors are:
  • 3 times more likely to suffer from depression
  • 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide
  • 6 times more likely to suffer from PTSD
  • 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol
  • 26 times more likely to abuse drugs
    
  • Source: RAINN

Domestic Violence

• On average, 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. This equates to 10 million women , men and children. (CDC)
• ​In the past 20 years, 499 Wisconsinites have lost their lives to DV.
• ​The most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when the abuser thinks the victim is getting help and considering leaving. (CDC)
• Continual exposure to domestic violence, combined with the fear and stress that such abuse provokes, can cause mental health issues for victims, along with  the physical injuries. (CDC)
• Abuser tactics typically include telling the victim they can never do anything right, embarrassing or shaming the victim with put-downs & discouraging the victim from contacting friends and family. (CDC)​
• In 2022, nearly 71% of our clients we served were survivors of domestic violence

New Beginning Advocates/Counselors provided professional support services to 1247 abused and assaulted survivors in 2023. We provided 244 community awareness/educational facilitations reaching more than 10,000 community members. All of our services are cost free.
 
Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted and every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. 55% of assaults occur at or near the victim's home. Sexual assault is the most under reported crime in our country. (RAINN 2022)
​
There were more than 10 million 'searches' on domestic violence in the US and Canada last year. As of November 15th, 2022, at least 96 WI lives have been lost due to domestic violence. In the past 20 years, 80-90% of homicides in WI were DV related. WI is the 8th leading state in the U.S. where men killed women in an interpersonal relationship. 52% of victims were in their 30s and 67% were killed with firearms. (NNEDV & DOJ 2022)

2018                    2019                   2020                    2021                   2022                    2023
  47 homicides      72 homicides     68 homicides     80 homicides      96 homicides      85 homicides
​
​*22 of 72 counties in WI had a DV Homicide in 2023
 In situations of sex trafficking, 37% of potential victims were minors; in situations of labor trafficking, 9% of potential victims were minors. In situations of sex trafficking, 80% of victims were female, and in situations of sex and labor trafficking, 66% of victims were female. In situations of labor trafficking where gender was identified, most victims were male. In situations where the victims’ race or ethnicity was known, Latino/a-identifying people comprised 82% of labor trafficking situations. In sex trafficking situations where the victims’ race or ethnicity was known, victims were African American (21%), Asian (25%), Latino/a (20%), and White/Caucasian (32%). 
​(Polaris 2022)
 
Approximately 13.5 million people are stalked in a 1 year period. Those between the ages of 18-24, experience the highest rate of stalking. 40% of stalkers are current or former partners. 1 in 3 women and 1in 6 men experience stalking at some point in their life.  (NSAM 2022)

Nationwide, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. Among men, 25% had been street harassed (a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ identified men more than heterosexual men reported this) and their most common form of harassment was homophobic or transphobic slurs (9%).

For more information, contact New Beginnings and like us on Facebook