Understanding Sexual Violence

“I think I might have been sexually assaulted…”

Whether you were sexually assaulted hours, days, weeks, months, or years ago, SAVA is here to help. Listed below are frequently asked questions survivors and their loved ones may have in the aftermath.

Facts about sexual violence:

  • 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual assault during their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).

  • In Colorado, the majority of sexual assaults involve victims ages 17 or younger, with youth ages 14-17 experiencing the highest rates across all age groups (BJS, 2021).

  • Women who are sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted again (Black et al, 2011).

  • Individuals with disabilities experience sexual assault at a rate seven times higher than individuals without disabilities (Shapiro, 2018).

A Story of Success

At the end of a SART Peers presentation, a freshman student approached the SART Mentor and disclosed that she learned for the first time that what had happened to her in the 7th grade was not only considered sexual assault but was not her fault. The SART Mentor was offered emotional support and helped set the student up with internal school support and external support from SAVA.

Stories like this one happen frequently for SAVA’s SART Peers Program. They remind us how crucial prevention education continues to be.