Sadly, sexual abuse is prevalent in the United States, but it is also widespread throughout the world. In the U.S., we have a strong campaign against sexual abuse and convicted sex offenders are kept on a short leash.
In 2005, the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) was established, but in 2006 it was renamed by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in honor of Dru Sjodin of Grand Forks, North Dakota, a 22 year-old college student who was kidnaped and murdered by a registered sex offender in Minnesota.
Today, the NSOPR is called the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), which we are going to refer to for statistics about sexual abuse.
Sexual Abuse Statistics in the U.S. (NSOPW)
- It is estimated that only 30% of sexual abuse cases are actually reported to the authorities.
- In 2012, 9.3% of the cases involving maltreatment of children were categorized as sexual abuse.
- In 2012, nearly 63,000 cases of child sexual abuse were reported.
- In 2010, only 25% of the females that were sexually assaulted or raped were victimized by a stranger.
- About 18% of women in the U.S. have been raped during their lifetime.
- Only about 16% of rapes are reported to the authorities.
- 81% of the women who have been raped, stalked, or physically abused by an intimate partner have reported significant short or long-term effects.
- In a 2012 maltreatment report, 34% of the sexual abuse victims were under the age of 9.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday.
- 82% of all juvenile sexual abuse victims are girls.
For more facts and statistics about sexual abuse, click here.
If you, your spouse, or another family member’s life has been affected by sexual abuse, we want you to know that you may have legal recourse, even if the offender has been arrested and is facing criminal prosecution.
Filing a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Victims of sexual abuse have the right to file a lawsuit against their abuser, and they do this by filing a civil lawsuit. Often, a jury will award large damages because sexual abuse is deplorable in our society, especially when the victim is an innocent child or teenager.
But, what if the offender is not wealthy? Depending on the circumstances, the plaintiff (victim of sexual abuse) may be able to file a claim against a third party, such as a business, a school, a church, a daycare, a doctor’s office, etc.
For instance, if a 7th grader is sexually abused by a PE teacher at school, the victim’s family may be able to sue the school. Or, if a woman is raped by her boss, she may be able to file a lawsuit against her employer.
While the facts of each sexual abuse case vary, often, there are opportunities for compensation that should be pursued to help compensate the victim for their physical pain, emotional suffering, and possibly lost income, etc.
If your family has been impacted by sexual abuse, contact our Columbia personal injury law firm to schedule a free consultation where we can discuss filing a sexual abuse lawsuit.