How to Use This BookIntroduction1. Sexual Assault in the United States: What We Know and How We Know ItQ1. Is there a single definition of sexual assault?Q2. Is there a single agreed-upon measure of sexual assault in the United States?Q3. Do all states define consent in the same way?Q4. Is sexual assault a big problem in the United States?Q5. Are all forms of sexual assault treated equally seriously by the criminal justice system?2. Demographic Differences in Sexual Assault VictimizationQ6. Are all people at equal risk of being sexually assaulted?Q7. Can men be sexually assaulted?Q8. Are there differences in risk and experience of sexual assault victimization by age?Q9. Is the risk of sexual assault victimization greater for people with certain sexual orientationsQ10. Do other factors impact the risk of sexual assault victimization or perpetration?3. Reporting Sexual AssaultQ11. Do most victims report their assaults to law enforcement?Q12. Do inconsistencies in victims’ statements to police mean that their claims are false or exaggQ13. If a claim of sexual assault does not result in an arrest, does that mean the assault did not hQ14. Are false reports of sexual assault a common problem in the United States?Q15. Can a sexual assault forensic exam (“rape kit”) prove whether someone was raped?4. The Impact of Sexual Assault on VictimsQ16. Is someone who is sexually assaulted likely to suffer negative mental health consequences?Q17. Does the reaction that someone receives following a disclosure of sexual assault impact the recQ18. Are most victims of sexual assault physically injured?Q19. Is victim blaming a problem in the United States?Q20. Do rape myths impact sexual assault survivors?Q21. Has the Me Too movement had an effect on sexual assault survivors?5. Government and Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault VictimsQ22. Has the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) helped victims of sexual assault?Q23. Are steps being taken to address the “rape kit backlog"?Q24. Are there steps that law enforcement can take to better respond to sexual assaults?Q25. Are there steps that prosecutors can take to better respond to sexual assaults?Q26. Are sexual assault response teams (SARTs) an effective method of addressing the problem of sexu6. Government and Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual OffendersQ27. Do most sex offenses result in prison time for the offender?Q28. Do most convicted sex offenders serve time in jail or prison?Q29. Do all sex offenders reoffend?Q30. Are sex offender registries effective public safety tools?7. Prevention and Response Services Outside of the Criminal Justice SystemQ31. Are there professionals outside of the criminal justice system who can help victims following aQ32. Do SANE programs improve outcomes for sexual assault victims?Q33. Do trauma-informed practices help victims of sexual assault?Q34. Does Title IX apply to sexual misconduct at institutions of higher education?IndexAbout the Author