Sexual violence happens in every community.
Victims are never to blame.
Newly released: Sexual Violence in Wisconsin
More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetime. Learn more about the impact of sexual violence in this new fact sheet, P-02763.
Sexual violence impacts everyone, but disproportionately affects people in marginalized communities.
47% of transgender adults have experienced sexual assault
7% of Wisconsin high school students and 16% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students have been raped.
What you can do
- Support victims and survivors
- Know and practice consent
- Be an active bystander
- Help shift harmful norms
- Be aware of the language you use
- Build connections and support organization and events in your community that are working to end sexual violence
Looking for support?
You can find information on the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault website to connect with a service provider near you.
Sexual violence is a verbal and/or physical act that breaks a person's trust and safety and is sexual in nature. Behaviors range from sexual harassment to unwanted fondling to forced penetration.
All are done without consent.
Sexual assault is defined in Wis. Stat. § 940.225 (Sexual Assault); Wis. Stat. § 940.32 (Stalking); Wis. Stat. § 948.02–948.11 (Sexual Assault of a Child); Wis. Stat. § 940.302 (Human trafficking).
Data in Wisconsin
- From 2006 to 2010, about 4,960 sexual assaults were reported annually to law enforcement.
- 90% of victims know the person who assaults them.
- Two-thirds of the victims of reported assaults are less than 15 years of age.
- Over four-fifths of victims are female.
- It is estimated that 1 in 7 (14%) Wisconsin women are raped during their lives (Kilpatrick, D.G, Ruggiero, K.J., 2003).
Nationally, only 39% of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement (Shannan M. Catalano, 2005). In Wisconsin, that would mean an estimated annual incidence of sexual assault of 12,672, the population of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Publications
- Not Safe at Home? Statewide Resources for Interpersonal Violence, P-02772
- Sexual Violence Prevention Needs Assessment Report 2018-2019, P-02445
- Sexual Assault Crime Statistics, Office of Justice Assistance, Crime Statistics, Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance
Resources
Education and prevention programs:
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services Sexual Violence Prevention Program and Adolescent Health Program
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Information for schools on how to reduce and respond to sexual violence.
Program services for survivors:
- Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA)’s list of providers and available services for survivors of sexual violence
- Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services
Additional data sources:
- National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
- National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), Sexual Orientation Report
- US Transgender Survey
(Note: Data from a large, non-randomized sample of the transgender community) - Wisconsin Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis, Uniform Crime Reporting data dashboards(Note: the data displayed on these dashboards may not match the factsheet, as the dashboard and factsheet use different methodology. Please review notes on the dashboards for more information.)
- Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Report (2019)
Contact Information
Division of Public Health
P.O. Box 2659
Madison, WI 53701-2659
Email: dhsadhealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov
