Thursday, April 18, 2019

Sexual Assault Awareness

I'm coming to you tonight on a serious note. My previous blog was about siblings and while they mean the world to me, my heart sinks to write this next blog. If you ask anyone about me, they will say I am the silly one, that I am always making people laugh or smile, however when it comes to this certain topic, nothing about it is funny, silly, or happy about it. April is Autism Awareness month, and among many other things, but also April stands for something else, its also Sexual Assault Awareness month. While getting my fact checker together, and trying to prep for some notes for this blog, I was amazed at the statistics I was seeing. Very informative but very heartbreaking at the same time. I hope this blog helps or informs someone in some way. Here's a few facts and statistics to get us started.

  • One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives 
  • In the U.S., one in three women and one in six men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime
  • 51.1% of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance
  • 52.4% of male victims report being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger (a)
  • Almost half (49.5%) of multiracial women and over 45% of American Indian/Alaska Native women were subjected to some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime (o)
  • 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and nine percent are male (m)
  • In eight out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the perpetrator 
  • Eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work 

ONE IN FIVE WOMEN--- Think about you standing with 4 other women in a room. One of those women have been raped at some point in their lives. My heart breaks for anyone who has experienced this type of pain. NO ONE should ever have to experience this. NO ONE should ever have to be a statistic on a website. EVERY ONE has the right to say no, and it bothers me to my core that every one in 5 women, and one in 71 men had that option took from them. Eight out 10 rapes, the victim knew their perpetrator. Think about that. Someone they loved, trusted, knew violated them in the worst possible way. How sad is that. Not only did they strip them of their right to choice, but they also violated the trust that the victim had for them. It makes me wonder,  We as a country need to be more involved in our friends and families lives, we need to step up and watch out for one another. Speak up and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH! As a woman, a mother, a sister, a niece, a aunt, and a friend, I am saying we need to be more involved in watching out for one another, more involved in protecting our sisters and brothers, and we need to watch out not just for women, but for men and our children. 


  • One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old
  • 30% of women were between the ages of 11 and 17 at the time of their first completed rape
  • 12.3% of women were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization 
  • 27.8% of men were age 10 or younger at the time of their first completed rape victimization
  • More than one third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult
  • 96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults 
  • 34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members of the child
  • It is estimated that 325,000 children per year are currently at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation
  • The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12-14 years old, and the average age at which boys first become victims of prostitution is 11-13 years old
  • Only 12% of child sexual abuse is ever reported to the authorities
I am honestly shocked at the numbers I just posted above. I wished I could say we live in a perfect world, but we do not. Evil is at an all time high, which is why I am coming to you with these staggering results. Sexual Assault does not discriminate against a color, a religion, a social status, or even a race. It can happen at any time, any where, to anyone. This blog has been an eye opener for me, and It is my vow, that after this blog, I will be more cautious of my surroundings, the people in my life, and I will do more and be more involved to make sexual assault stop, against any man, woman, or child. If you want to be more involved, I will be listing some websites down below. Thank you for reading. Until next time, take care of yourself and take care of each other.

If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, I encourage you to reach out and call

National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call 1-800-656-4673
Available 24 hours everyday
https://www.nsvrc.org/get-involved


Christy Blazewood

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