Agency Discourse Memo

TO: ENGLISH 1311

FROM: BRIANA MELENDEZ

SUBJECT: RAINN

DATE: 02/13/11

According to the U.S Department of Justice survey in 2007 every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. There are many cases in which sexual assault goes unreported. Approximately 2/3 of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim, 73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger, 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintances, 28% are an intimate, and 7% are a relative.  60% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police, according to a statistical average of the past 5 years.  Only about 6% of rapists ever serve a day in jail.  1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime and among those college age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.  Victims of sexual assault are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression, 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, and 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide. 

RAINN is one of the many organizations that helps and makes sure victims voices are heard against sexual assault. RAINN stands for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and is the nation's largest anti-sexual organization .  RAINN operates a phone hotline and an online hotline which are both free, educates the public about sexual assault, leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault,  and improves services to victims to ensure that rapists are brought to justice. Among RAINNs programs theres is the hotline that may be reached at 1-800-656-HOPE for those who are willing to talk about what happened to them or its online hotline can be located at www.rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-online-hotline which helps victims who are yet not able to verbalize what has happened to them. Along with celebrity spokes people for RAINN for example Jennifer Aniston among others. Television networks and other media advocates such as newspapers are pro RAINN. On campuses nationwide RAINN also organizes RAINN Day, coordinators educate students through events and survivors of rape. Through these resources RAINN is an anti-sexual advocate and hopes to improve and help victim's life at any age, race, or sex.

http://www.rainn.org/about-rainn

U.S. Department of Justice.2005 National Crime Victimization Study. 2005.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention.1992-2000.

National Center for Policy Analysis. Crime and Punishment in America. 1999.

U.S. Department of Justice. 2007 National Crime Victimization Survey. 2007.

U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics. 1997 Sex Offenses and Offenders Study. 1997.

U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics. 1998 Alcohol and Crime Study. 1998.

2002 Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994 Study. 2002