The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. and founded by singer/songwriter Tori Amos (a rape survivor) funded with initial grants from the Atlantic Group and the Warner Music Group.  

RAINN RAPE FACTS

- Before you finish reading this, another woman will be raped. - Recent statistics show that rape is prevalent in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1996, 307,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.]Between 1995 and 1996, more than 670,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.

Silent Victims

One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes is the belief that it is a private matter and they fear reprisal from the assailant.In 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials - less than one in every three. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.] Approximately 68% of rape victims knew their assailant. [Violence against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994] Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives. [Violence against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994]

Living In Fear

According to the U.S. Department of Justice:[All statistics are taken from: Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.] One of every four rapes take place in a public area or in a parking garage. 29% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.
68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
45% of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.
In 47% of rapes, the victim sustained injuries other than rape injuries.
75% of female rape victims require medical care after the attack.

Not Just a Family Matter

In 1995, USA child protective service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse; of these, 75% were girls. Nearly 30% of child victims were between the ages of 4 and 7. [Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Maltreatment, 1995.]
Approximately one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age. [Violence and the Family. Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996.]
According to the Justice Department, one in two rape victims is under age 18; one in six is under age 12. [Child Rape Victims, 1992. U.S. Department of Justice.]

Face Of America

About 81% of rape victims are white; 18% are black; 1% are of other races. [Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.]
While 9 out of 10 rape victims are women, men and boys are also victimized by this crime. In 1995, 32,130 males age 12 and older were victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.] Teens 16 to 19 were three and one-half times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.] Those with a household income under $7,500 were twice as likely as the general population to be victims of a sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.]

Progress

The incidence of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault declined by more than 17% between 1995 and 1996.
More and more survivors are speaking out publicly, helping to lessen the stigma long associated with rape victims.

RAINN
252 TENTH STREET, NEWASHINGTON, DC 20002
202-544-1034
E-MAIL:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER FROM TORI AMOS

DEAR FRIENDS:  

For the past two years, I've sung "Me and a Gun" at every concert as a way of healing the place inside myself that has been hurt, enraged, and numbed by violence.

For many years, I shut down that place inside myself that needed to rage, cry, ask questions, and basically just express herself.

I made a conscious choice when I put "Me and a Gun" on the record not to stay a victim anymore. You see, I was still a victim in my own mind from an experience that had happened a long time ago: I was torturing myself.

Passion, joy, and love were not things I felt I could have or deserved anymore. I've been encouraged by wise ones, who taught me how to develop inner tools where I can understand these scared places in my being. It took me many years to make the decision  to deal with this, but a bitter woman was what I was becoming and when I was young I always saw myself as a passionate woman.

I would say, "Well, she's dead." and the wise ones said, "It's your choice, Tori, if you want to bring her back to life, you can. She's only been sleeping - alone, in a very dark corner. It's your choice and there is help out there."  

I received a letter from a 13-year-old girl in Paris whose stepfather has been molesting her for years. She wrote: "If I had known a phone number which would have been able to help me, I certainly would have dialed it. So we can't go on being blind and dumb: You don't have to put the message with the help phone number out now. Maybe you'll never do it, because of different reasons. You won't be to blame for it. But, I want you to never forget that every day someone loses their dignity."  

Healing takes courage and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it!  

Love and support,  

TORI AMOS

© Speak Out Terms of use