Sexual Assaults in 2022

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men experienced a form of sexual harassment over the course of their lifetime. Harassment often precedes assault, so you can expect a percentage of these individuals to have experienced sexual assaults as well. Here are a few other statistics about sexual assaults in 2022, courtesy of NSVRC.

• 1 in 5 women experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime
• 24.8% of men endured some type of contact sexual violence
• 1 in 3 women who experience rape or sexual assault are between the ages of 11 and 17, with 1 in 4 men experiencing it in the same time frame
• Between therapies and other treatments, the estimated lifetime cost of rape is 122,461 per person

As you can see, sexual assaults and rape are alarmingly common. These numbers aren’t 100% either, as 63% of sexual assaults go unreported. We only see the data for reported cases, which means they could be much, much higher. There are a variety of reasons for victims to avoid legal action after a situation this difficult, with most depending on the specific situation at hand. But, if you can find a few trusted individuals, it’s almost always to your benefit, and there are resources available online for you to do so.

The most important thing after any sexual assault is your health and well-being, so make sure to seek comprehensive medical treatment as soon as you’re able to. Once you do, you can begin treatment for the damage, therapy for the emotional scarring, and establish a list of monetary damages to recover later on if you decide to proceed with a civil lawsuit.

The civil lawsuit will have to wait until you finalize any criminal proceedings, as you’ll need to prove that your abuser committed the crime in a court of law prior to seeking civil damages. You might be relieved to be done with the legal process once that verdict is passed down, but you’ll need to stay strong for a bit longer to cross the finish line and make the at-fault party pay for what they’ve done.

While your situation is personal, and you likely don’t want to share the details with more people than you have to, an attorney will keep your case confidential and safe from tampering. You can seek protection to have personal information removed from the records in some cases, whereas in others, you can almost remove yourself from the process entirely and have your attorney handle the majority of the work. This, of course, depends on your circumstances, so you should speak with your attorney about what the future of your case will entail to ensure you’re comfortable with moving forward.

Once you’ve retained an attorney, they’ll begin to gather evidence in support of your case. They’ll make sure to leave no stone unturned, collect all necessary documentation, and keep you updated throughout, making sure to protect you throughout the process. After this, they’ll bring your case to the negotiation table and attempt to reach a settlement, but there’s no guarantee that this is the final step. Your abuser or their legal team could refuse to settle for one reason or another, which means your attorney will have to bring your case into the courtroom to advocate for what you deserve.

Your specific recovery will depend on the circumstances surrounding your case, the jurisdiction the incident occurred in, and the expertise of your attorney, amongst other contributing factors. The average compensation for sexual harassment cases is around $50,000, while the average payout for a sexual assault lawsuit is in the millions—with one case providing the victim with $243.6 million in compensation.

Here are a few of the many damages that sexual assault victims can seek for recovery through their lawsuit:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life
• Loss of earning capacity
• Emotional damage/mental anguish
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Punitive damages

It’s relatively easy to determine the monetary amount of your medical expenses and lost wages, but it’s much more ambiguous for others. Each of them describes a situation that can’t necessarily be measured by the dollar, which creates a situation where you need to convince the opposing party of how much your condition affects you. Someone else won’t be able to look across the table and easily understand the true value of your pain and suffering, nor will they be able to predict how that condition will evolve in the future. This is where having an attorney by your side is near-essential. If they’re experienced, they’ll have seen your situation before and know proven methods to get your point across, giving you an undeniable advantage during this stage of the process.

Physical damage is common in sexual assault cases, but emotional scarring is one of the most prominent injuries sustained by all sexual assault victims. Not only will they have to live with the memory for the rest of their lives, but nearly half of female sexual assault victims are abused by an intimate partner or acquaintance, which makes the situation all the more unsettling. It’s important to seek treatment or therapy for the pain you’re experiencing, especially if you’re struggling to cope. There are numerous resources for you to leverage as you heal and return to a normal life, like the NSVRC or RAINN.

A sexual assault is a delicate situation, and many victims are apprehensive about coming forward about what happened to them. While it is understandable in many cases, you should consider it at the very least. If you choose to forgo holding your abuser accountable for any reason, please seek confidential support for your emotional/mental health and well-being; you’ll be happy you did later down the line.

In the most difficult moments of your life, Morgan and Morgan has your back. Our sexual assault lawyers have the necessary experience, resources, and expertise to give you the best possible chance of recovering your rightful compensation and, more importantly, ensuring you’re protected to the fullest extent of the law. We have offices nationwide to serve as a safe space for you after your incident, with compassionate and talented people staffed at each. There’s a lot to take in after a sexual assault of any caliber, but with us by your side, you can hand over the reins and let us handle the majority of the proceedings. We’ll work our magic, and you get a chance to recover, all of which we’re both fighting for every penny you’re entitled to.

Complete our free, no-obligation case evaluation to get started.