Yesterday, my daughter Jessi and I attended a conference on violence against women at the UVA Nursing School. We learned more about the emotional and physical tolls of abuse on its victims, about interventions to protect victims and aid in their recovery, and about efforts here and abroad aimed at violence prevention.
Consider these staggering U.S. statistics:
– One in four girls and one in six boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
– More than 600 women every day are raped or sexually assaulted.
– One in five women will experience rape or attempted rape during their college years.
– Women experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes every year.
– There is a $32 billion/year business in commercial sex trafficking of women and children in the U.S. The average age of entry into prostitution is 11 to 14 years old. The U.S. is the second largest destination for trafficked victims of sexual exploitation. (Read More)
