Sexual Assault and Rape In Texas
April is Sexual Assault Awarness Month

Nearly 2 million adult Texans, or 12.6% of the population, have been sexually assaulted1
More than half of all sexual assaults are committed against children under age 181
"An estimated 82% of rapes go unreported2
The vast majority of rape victims - nearly 80% - know the person who rapes them2
"In Texas, 6 out of 10 adults and more than half of teenagers say sexual assault is a personal worry 3
A third of Texan adults say sexual assault is one of their biggest worries 3
While a majority of Texans says the state takes sexual assault seriously, 76% believe the state should take the issue more seriously3
"Many Texans have only a surface understanding of what constitutes sexual assault, and more than a quarter of Texans are very misinformed about its parameters 3

Sources: 1 A Health Survey of Texans: A Focus on Sexual Assault, 2002
2 National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 1999
3 Survey on Sexual Assault in Texas, 2002

The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) Is Launching an excellent campaing against this victimization happening in Texas. Below is Media in different formats. Listent to stories from actual survivors and read about statistics in Texas. For more information visit their web site at www.taasa.org Check back often as we update this page

Eunice Tells her story in Spanish MP3 Audio
Cathy Tells her story and survival MP3 Audio
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault 2005 Campaign Click Here MS Word ®
Survivor Stories in MS Word "Speak Up. Speak Out." Click Here MS Word®

Sexual Assualt Guide to Survival provided by TAASA

If you are a Victim:

Get to a safe place.
Do not shower, bathe, wash your hands, brush your teeth, use the toilet or clean up in any way. You could destroy evidence.
Do not change or destroy clothing. Your clothes are evidence.
If it was in your home, do not rearrange and/or clean up anything. You could destroy evidence.
Get medical attention as soon as possible. (Evidence should be collected when you get to the hospital.)
Contact a friend or family member you trust or call the local rape crisis center hotline.
Most of all, know this is not your fault.

You have the right to:

determine whether to report the crime to the police
ask for a female police officer if you choose to report
locate an attorney to represent you (the prosecutor is not your attorney)
sue the rapist in civil court for money
refuse to have evidence collected
request that someone accompany you in the examination room
be considered a rape victim/survivor regardless of the rapist's relationship to you
Getting back to normal can take a long time and you may be wondering if there is anyone who can help. Many survivors have found it helpful to talk to rape crisis counselors. You can find the telephone numbers of your local center here or listed in your phone book. You may also call the 24-hour National Sexual Assault Hotline, operated by RAINN, at 1-800-656-HOPE. By calling this number you will be automatically connected to your closest rape crisis center. Rape crisis centers are on call 24-hours a day waiting to help you.

Finally, feel free to call and request "A Survivor's Booklet" In English or Spanish from TAASA. Our number is 512-474-7190.

When it is Someone You know:

When someone you know or care about has been assaulted, it is normal for you to feel upset and confused. At a time when you may want to help most, you will be dealing with a crisis of your own.

You may find it difficult to listen when s/he needs to talk about his or her feelings. You may hope that by not talking about it, the feelings both of you have will go away.

You may be tempted to make decisions for the survivor, to be over-protective. You may want to hide the assault from others. You may feel disturbed or confused when the survivor continues to be affected for weeks, months, and even years.

Some partners may want more physical intimacy sooner than the survivor does. Others may feel repulsed.

Maybe you feel guilty and responsible, believing you could somehow prevent the assault. You may also feel anger at the survivor or at everyone in general.

All of these feelings are understandable following the sexual assault of someone you love. Please know that if these feelings are hidden or expressed in hurtful ways, they can interfere with the resolution of your crisis and that of the survivor.

The survivor may need your support and understanding. You, however, also need support.

Rape is a violent assault, not a sexually-motivated or gratifying act. The rapist's aim is to dominate, humiliate, control and degrade the victim. Because the same body parts are involved in sexual assault as in making love, many people confuse sex and violence. Some respond to a survivor as if s/he provoked, wanted or enjoyed it.

Many people also believe rape is not traumatic. Not understanding the reality of sexual assault can make the crisis more difficult for both of you. The emotional impact of sexual assault does not disappear, and talking about it can help. Your feelings are normal, and resources are available for you too.

1-(800) 834-2033 Toll Free