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Sexual Assault

In most cases, the sexual assault victim is either embarrassed about the incident, fearful about the potential for retaliation, or is in denial about the severity of the assault. However, it is important that victims of sexual assault learn how to take back the power and hold their attackers accountable for their actions. If you or a loved one has been the victim of sexual assault, don’t hesitate to get legal help. An experienced attorney can ensure that your legal rights are protected and help you pursue the compensation you deserve by filing a lawsuit against your abuser.

What is Sexual Assault?

Generally speaking, sexual assault is defined as any form of unwanted sexual contact perpetrated by one person against another. Sexual assault occurs when a person touches another person in a sexual manner without that person’s consent, or coerces or physically forces another person to engage in a sexual act against their will. Sexual assault is a form of sexual violence that includes rape (forced vaginal, oral or anal penetration), child sexual abuse, groping, or the torture of another person in a sexual manner, and can involve any unwanted touching or fondling of another person in a sexual way, under or over clothing, without that person’s consent.

What Constitutes Sexual Assault or Rape?

In a civil lawsuit, sexual assault refers to any nonconsensual sexual contact, including:

Touching of private parts, over or under clothing
Forcible penetration or oral sex
Use of date rape drugs
Attempted sexual assault
Showing children sexually explicit images

Taking inappropriate photos of a child for personal use or distribution
Taking advantage of someone incapacitated by drugs or alcohol
Coerced sex through the use of weapons or other harm or threat of harm

What Constitutes Sexual Assault or Rape?

In a civil lawsuit, sexual assault refers to any nonconsensual sexual contact, including:

Touching of private parts, over or under clothing
Forcible penetration or oral sex
Use of date rape drugs
Attempted sexual assault
Showing children sexually explicit images

Taking inappropriate photos of a child for personal use or distribution
Taking advantage of someone incapacitated by drugs or alcohol
Coerced sex through the use of weapons or other harm or threat of harm

Filing a Sexual Assault Lawsuit

In many cases of sexual assault, the victim knows his or her abuser and trusts that person to protect him or her from unnecessary harm. Most sexual assault and rape incidents involve victims under the age of 18 and occur in places where young adults and children expect to be protected by professionals – in churches, sporting activities, schools, doctor’s offices and other community groups. In one recent high-profile sexual assault case involving what one would expect to be a trusted professional, more than a dozen lawsuits have been brought against a longtime gynecologist employed by the University of Southern California (USC) in the school’s on-campus clinic, Dr. George Tyndall, a man who has been accused of sexually abusing dozens of young female students over the course of nearly 30 years.

Sexual assault and rape are serious, life-changing offenses, and victims of sexual violence have the right to come forward with information about the incident, so they can get the help they need and possibly take legal action against their abuser. Contact an experienced attorney today for more information about filing a sexual assault lawsuit.

Sexual Violence Statistics

he following are sexual violence statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN):

There are approximately 321,500 victims of sexual assault and rape every year in the United States
90% of adult rape victims are female
People between the ages of 12 and 34 are at the highest risk for sexual assault and rape
54% of sexual assault victims are between the ages of 18 and 34
Transgender students face a higher risk of sexual violence
1 out of every 10 rape victims are male
Female college students between the ages of 18 and 24 are three times more likely than women in the general population to experience sexual violence. Women of the same age who are not enrolled in college are four times more likely.
Roughly 15% of all sexual abuse victims are under the age of 18
1 in 8 lesbian women and nearly 50% of bisexual men and women experience sexual assault in their lifetime
Nearly 4 in 10 gay men experience sexual violence in their lifetime
64% of transgender individuals have experienced sexual assault in their lifetime
On average, 68% of sexual assaults go unreported, and 98% of rapists will avoid spending time in jail

Sexual Assault Lawsuit Information

Not only do victims of rape and sexual assault typically suffer short-term consequences of the trauma, they can also experience long-term emotional and psychological effects that can persist for years after the incident. Some possible long-term side effects of rape or sexual assault include anxiety, depression, denial, mood swings, promiscuity, post-traumatic stress disorder, a lack of interest in daily activities, and possibly even attempted suicide. If you have been the victim of a sexual assault or rape, contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to defend your legal rights. You may have grounds to file a sexual assault lawsuit against your attacker, in order to pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.