One in five women worldwide will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime this rate is the same for
women in the United States (CDC, 2010c). The vast majority rapes are committed by men against women,
although mounting evidence suggests the men also are victims of sexual assault, and gay and transgender men are
particularly v nerable Early research documented cases where women take sexual advantage of young men who
may be insecure, intoxicated, or of a lower status (Anderson and Struckman Johnson, 1998). More recent data
from the Centers for Disease Control (2005) found that 16 percent of men have experienced sexual assault by age
18, often at the hands of relative or acquaintance. Although all sexual assault is taboo, young men are particular
reluctant to come forth and report their experiences. Many feel stifled because they ha internalized the belief that
men should be strong, stoic, and able to defend themselves while those assaulted by other men fear the stigma
associated with sex between two men (Kassie, 2015).
Rape is an act of violence committed to wield power and control over its victim. sexual assault often is carefully
planned rather than performed on the spur of the moment
to satisfy some uncontrollable sexual desire. Many rapes involve beatings, knifings,.and
even murder. In some instances, sexual assault is facilitated by alcohol or women having
their drinks spiked with the sedative Rohypnol (i.e., a “roofie”) or drugs referred
as “date-rape drugs” (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2010). Even when
rape leaves no physical wounds, it is a highly traumatic violation of the victim’s person that leaves long-lasting
psychological scars. The social and emotional scars left
by sexual assault are arguably amplified today, when the assailants “publicize” the
attack using social media. This devastation was recounted in vivid and heart-breaking
terms by a young woman who was sexually assaulted while unconscious by a Stanford
University student-athlete. At the assailant’s sentencing, the woman read a letter in
which she shared, “I can’t sleep alone at night without having a light on, like a five year
old, because I have nightmares of being touched where I cannot wake up. I did this thing
where I waited until the sun came up and I felt safe enough to sleep. . It is embarrassing how feeble I feel, how
