Sexual Violence – Perpetrators and Victims

Who are the perpetrators?

Many people think of rapists as hooded strangers jumping out of the bushes in the middle of the night. While stranger rape does happen, the majority of sexual batteries are committed by someone the victim knows*. Up to 90% of women raped in college know the perpetrator*.

Statistics on victimizations*:

Among female victims:

• 51.1% of perpetrators were intimate partners (boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse)
• 12.5% of perpetrators were family members
• 40.8% of perpetrators were acquaintances
• 13.8% of perpetrators were strangers

Among male victims (who were penetrated):

• 52.4% of perpetrators were acquaintances
• 15.1% of perpetrators were strangers

Among male victims (who were forced to penetrate someone else):

• 44.8% of perpetrators were intimate partners (boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse)
• 44.7% of perpetrators were acquaintances
• 8.2% of perpetrators were strangers.